Zelenskyy: Ukraine ready to continue cooperation on nuclear power plant units
Ukraine is ready to continue cooperation on nuclear power plant units, but the decision remains with the Bulgarian side, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
"In my view, we are simply sending a signal that we are ready to continue cooperation on units for a nuclear power plant. Why? We have nuclear power plants, this has all been calculated. Russia bought six nuclear generation units from Ukraine. This energy is relatively cheap. It could help Ukrainians and also export this assistance to other countries, including probably Eastern Europe and Moldova, which is suffering from a major deficit," Zelenskyy said during a press conference with Bulgarian Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov on Monday.
According to the president, Ukraine cannot do this today, although all the infrastructure for it has been built.
"Two units that can bring assistance to Ukraine and Bulgaria, generate money and help people – in our view, they should be working, but today the decision is undoubtedly up to the Bulgarian side," Zelenskyy said.
For his part, Gyurov added that at present the price of the sale of the reactors is not the main problem, because Bulgaria is preparing for elections in three weeks, and the government’s main task is to ensure fair and honest elections.
"We are discussing the possibility of transferring ownership of these reactors to Ukraine. At this moment, there is a parliamentary vote which says that any transfer of ownership must be approved by parliament. Therefore, the question of what will happen in parliament now and later is a matter of electoral arithmetic," the prime minister said.
As reported, the Energy Ministry, headed by Herman Halushchenko, who became a figure in the NABU and SAPO "Midas" case concerning corruption in the energy sector, had actively lobbied for the purchase from Bulgaria of equipment for two units at Khmelnytsky NPP manufactured using Russian technology. The issue sparked major public debate.
Bulgaria at one point suspended negotiations on the sale of the reactors for political reasons.
