Russia has flatly rejected any possibility of returning control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to Ukraine—or even allowing joint operation with Western partners—calling the site now “an integral part of Russia.”
As reported by Digi24, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated Tuesday night that “the transfer of the ZNPP itself or control over it to Ukraine or any other country is impossible.” The Kremlin also ruled out temporary access for NATO-linked officials, citing alleged risks of sabotage.
A Critical Energy Asset in the Crosshairs
Located in the Russian-occupied city of Enerhodar in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, the ZNPP was once responsible for producing 20% of Ukraine’s electricity. Since Russia captured the plant in March 2022, it has been offline and under military control. Despite its dormant status, the facility remains strategically vital—and a flashpoint in wider negotiations over postwar reconstruction and resource access.
Last week, POLITICO reported that U.S. President Donald Trump sees the plant as crucial to a potential U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement, aiming to tie future reconstruction to energy security. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed Ukraine’s legal ownership but said he is open to American cooperation—if control of the plant is restored.
Moscow Doubles Down
Moscow justifies its position by invoking the 2022 “referendums” it held under occupation in four Ukrainian regions, including Zaporizhzhia. Citing these votes and a special decree from President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin claims legal sovereignty over the facility under “international law.”
The statement also warned that cooperation between NATO states and Ukraine disqualifies any Western participation in managing the plant: “Even temporary access by representatives of those countries is unacceptable.”
As diplomatic talks stall and military lines harden, the future of Europe’s largest nuclear plant may become emblematic of a larger geopolitical deadlock—where energy, sovereignty, and global power rivalries collide.
