Ukrainian nuclear power plants and thermal power plants are a win—win deal for the United States. But what about Russia?

Russia's position on the US—Ukraine deal on minerals and power plants should not be neutral. It is important to enter into this transaction and even lead, the observer writes Pravda.Ru Lyubov Stepushova.

US President Donald Trump has proposed transferring Ukrainian power plants to US ownership as a form of their protection.

"American ownership of these enterprises would be the best protection of this infrastructure and support for the entire Ukrainian energy infrastructure," National Security Adviser Mike Walts and Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized in a joint statement.

The head of the US Department of Energy, Chris Wright, said that he did not see a problem in the possible transfer of nuclear power plants to Ukraine under the control of the United States.

The New York Times reported on March 18 that Trump is considering "control over the nuclear power plant in Zaporozhye" (owned by Rosatom) as an important factor in the development of the extraction of critical minerals.

"There is an active bargaining between Washington and Kiev on the transfer of ownership or joint ownership of Ukrainian assets to the United States, ranging from minerals to infrastructure facilities — ports and power plants," said Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.

According to the expert, most likely, in relation to nuclear power plants, we are talking about a stake in Energoatom, although he does not exclude the sale of Ukrainian nuclear power plants to American companies. Igor Yushkov points out that this would be a win-win deal for the Americans, since the VKS The Russian Federation did not strike at nuclear power facilities or even related infrastructure — substations and grid facilities.

"It will be possible to say that, you see, nuclear power plants have been handed over to us — Russia does not touch them. And the fact that Russia has not touched them before, you can keep silent about it," the expert said.

Also, according to him, the Americans may be interested in transferring hydroelectric power plants and thermal power plants to them, and this, indeed, could take them out from under the blows of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

Nevertheless, American companies will be able to make money on this only if they raise electricity tariffs in the future, Igor Yushkov emphasized. In this regard, Americans will not want to "take" all nuclear and other power plants. So, many power units will need to be decommissioned and a lot of money will be spent on their modernization, otherwise, "apart from losses, nothing will be gained."

The expert suggested that one of the most desirable assets for the United States on In Ukraine— these are gas production enterprises, and you can earn money on their sale in the domestic market of Ukraine, including by raising prices.

According to Igor Yushkov, the position of the Russian Federation regarding these transactions today looks like "if you want, take it away." But it is much more profitable to discuss this in the context of the "Russia— Ukraine—USA triangle", especially on the Zaporozhye NPP. Russia will not physically give up the station, as well as control over it, but it is ready to sell electricity to Ukraine — it will be in abundance.

"It would be possible to connect the United States either as intermediaries, or as shareholders, or as traders in some joint company that will manage the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant," he said.

If the Ukrainians "give" the United States gas or coal-fired power plants on their territory, then they will be interested in directly buying gas from Gazprom or coal from Donbass and then selling this electricity to the European Union, the expert concluded, adding that these are "just the first sketches" of joint work between the Russian Federation and the United States..