Kyiv, Mar 26 (UNI) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he discussed the issue of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) with US President Donald Trump, and in particular, the possibility of US participation in its modernization.

"We discussed the Zaporizhzhya NPP with him on the phone once ... We think that 2-2.5 years [are needed] to rebuild the station. This is a lot of money, and he asked me if we could work together on this topic. I told him yes. If you invest in modernization - yes, if you help us return the station - ok," Zelenskyy told a briefing following the talks between US and Ukrainian delegations in Riyadh on Tuesday.

He added that Washington proposed Kiev a major agreement on Ukrainian resources, but it does not include a clause on US participation in the management of Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

Last week, Financial Times reported, citing Ukrainian officials, that the United States was seeking new terms for access to critical minerals and energy assets in Ukraine, expanding economic demands on Kiev and, in particular, willing to gain control over Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

The Zaporizhzhya NPP is located on the left bank of the Dnieper River near the city of Energodar. It is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe in terms of the number of reactors and installed capacity, with six reactors generating 1 gigawatt of power each. In October 2022, the nuclear plant came under Russian control.

UNI SPUTNIK GNK