INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
President Donald Trump proposed that the U.S
assume control of Ukraine's nuclear power plants to safeguard the country's energy infrastructure as part of a ceasefire plan during a call
with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday.Trump suggested the U.S
Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that U.S
management of Ukrainian nuclear power plants could facilitate peace efforts."How do we bring peace to Ukraine? How do we get this fighting
to stop? Which takes both sides to lay down their arms? But if it was helpful to achieve that end, have the U.S
run nuclear power plants in Ukraine
No problem, we can do that," he said
?He highlighted the U.S.'s technical expertise, saying: "We have immense technical expertise in the United States to run those plants
I don't think that requires boots on the ground." ?The phone call between Trump and Zelensky focused on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power
Financial Times that he and Trump had only discussed the Zaporizhzhia plant and did not confirm plans for the U.S
it is currently under Russian occupation and could become a bargaining chip in the ongoing talks to find a ceasefire agreement.Trump called
weekend in Saudi Arabia.Zelensky said a halt on energy strikes in the war with Russia could be established quickly, but warned Ukraine would
respond in kind if Moscow violated the terms of the limited ceasefire
He said Kyiv would draw up a list of facilities that could be subject to a partial ceasefire brokered by Washington that would include not
to protect civilians, a request Trump agreed to address by coordinating with European allies
?According to Reuters, Zelensky also said that Ukraine had received new supplies of several F-16 fighter jets, but he declined to specify
how many or when the delivery had happened.A tired Zelensky told reporters the call with Trump was "probably his most substantive and
That deal has been put on pause until a ceasefire agreement can be struck with Russia.The White House noted that Trump has "moved beyond"
earlier proposals involving American companies extracting oil, gas and rare metals in Ukraine, focusing instead on stabilizing the region's
energy infrastructure in the readout of the call with Zelensky.Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has said another round of talks
officials aimed at a permanent ceasefire and end to the war will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday
It was unclear whether Ukraine would be involved in those talks.This article first appeared in bne IntelliNews.
