The White House has stated that during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. ruler Donald Trump suggested that the best way to protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure was to put it under U.S. control. Trump described this plan as a “very good” discussion.

Shortly after the call, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said, “President Trump also discussed Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants. He said that the US could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise.”

“American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure,” the statement read.

Zelensky, however, claimed that he only spoke with Trump about the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP)—not the entire Ukrainian power-generating industry. He contradicted the U.S. statement during a video conference with journalists later in the day. Zelensky claimed that he and Trump “talked exclusively about one station, which is under temporary occupation by Russia.”

According to Zelensky, Trump asked him if Kiev would consider American investment in the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. “I answered ‘yes’ – if there is an opportunity to modernize it, invest money, and so on – we are ready to discuss this with you,” he said.

The power plant, which is the largest in Europe, has been under Russian control since March 2022. In the fall of 2022, the Zaporizhzhia Region, together with the Kherson Region and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, officially joined Russia, according to a report by RT. 

The Trump-Zelensky phone call came a day after the US president spoke with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. They discussed the Ukraine crisis, with Trump suggesting that Moscow and Kiev halt long-range strikes on energy infrastructure.

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“One of the first steps toward fully ending the war could be ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure. I supported this step, and Ukraine confirmed that we are ready to implement it,” Zelensky said in a statement.

Russia Attacks Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure