Kyiv:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday mentioned that he and US counterpart Donald Trump had mentioned potential US possession of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant in southern Ukraine.
His feedback to reporters got here after Trump informed Zelensky on Wednesday that america might personal and run Ukraine’s nuclear energy crops as a part of his newest bid to safe a ceasefire in Russia’s invasion.
“We talked solely about one energy plant, which is beneath Russian occupation,” Zelensky, who was on an official go to to Finland, mentioned throughout an internet briefing, referring to the plant in Zaporizhzhia.
The facility station, Europe’s largest, was captured by Russian forces early of their invasion launched in February 2022 and since has been a flashpoint of issues over a potential nuclear incident.
Zelensky mentioned that it might take greater than two years for the plant to be made operational once more, and that its era capability was wanted by each Ukrainians and Europe.
“Do we’d like it? For individuals, sure, and for Europe, too. To hitch the European digital community — completely. We are able to do all this,” he mentioned.
– No ‘strain’ from Trump –
Since taking workplace in January, Trump has sought a speedy decision to the greater than three years of brutal combating between Russia’s invading drive and the Ukrainians.
Zelensky final week backed a US-led proposal for a whole and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, however the Kremlin refused and as an alternative proposed a halt on strikes on vitality infrastructure.
The Ukrainian chief informed reporters from Finland that Putin was unlikely to conform to any ceasefire so long as Ukraine’s troops had been nonetheless combating for management of Russia’s Kursk area, the place Kyiv launched an audacious however struggling offensive final yr.
“He doesn’t desire a ceasefire whereas our troops are on the territory of the Kursk area,” Zelensky mentioned.
Russian forces have been making regular beneficial properties within the Kursk area for weeks, thwarting what Kyiv hoped could be a bargaining chip in talks with Moscow.
The Trump administration’s speedy engagement with Russian officers, a pointy departure from the earlier administration’s method, has raised fears in Ukraine that it may very well be pressured to make unpopular concessions, like ceding territory to Russia.
However Zelensky informed reporters that Trump had not mounted any strain on Kyiv to capitulate to the Kremlin calls for.
“I need to be frank, very frank. At present I didn’t really feel any strain from Trump, there was none. And this can be a reality. You recognize that I’m an open individual. If it was, I might have informed you frankly,” he mentioned.
His feedback come simply weeks after a surprising standoff between the 2 leaders within the White Home which ended within the Ukrainian delegation, together with Zelensky, leaving forward of schedule.
– ‘I am not going to let you know’ –
In the course of the briefing with reporters, Zelensky mentioned that he spoke with Emmanuel Macron every day, after the French chief referred to as him unexpectedly throughout the press convention.
“Sure, I’ve simply spoken to President Macron, to Emmanuel,” Zelensky mentioned after receiving a phone name throughout the briefing. “We regularly speak rather a lot. As soon as a day. After our dialog, I’ll name him again.”
Zelensky additionally introduced that he would go to France subsequent week, with out elaborating.
The Ukrainian chief has urged his Western allies to step up assist even within the occasion of a ceasefire, and introduced on Wednesday that his nation had just lately obtained “a number of” extra F-16 fighter jets.
“I am not going to let you know what number of,” Zelensky informed reporters, with out saying which nation delivered them. Ukraine obtained its first deliveries of the US-made plane final yr.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
