The US could have boots on the ground in Ukraine -- though not in the way many might expect.
During a recent phone call between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where Ukraine agreed to pause attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure for 30 days, the idea emerged of establishing a US presence at Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
Zelenskyy said that in the conversation with Trump, he discussed the possibility of US assistance in restoring Zaporizhzhya, Europe's largest nuclear power station, which has been under Russian occupation since March 2022.
"I said that just de-occupying [Zaporizhzhya] is not enough, because there must be infrastructure there: water supply, technical personnel, and many more steps so that [in the future] the station starts bringing money and electricity to people," Zelenskyy said about the phone call.
According to a White House readout of the March 19 call, Trump told Zelenskyy that US ownership of Ukraine's electrical supply and nuclear power plants "would be the best protection for that infrastructure."
Plan For US Nuclear Staff In Ukraine
Experts who spoke to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service cautiously welcomed the proposal, saying it would be a strong security guarantee and a step in the right direction for Ukraine's nuclear power to shift from Russia to the West.
"I believe that if Mr. Trump made such a proposal, Ukraine should not refuse, but should agree to it, with certain conditions," said Volodymyr Omelchenko, energy program director at the Razumkov Center, a Kyiv-based think tank.
Those conditions, he suggested, would include guaranteeing complete Ukrainian control and ensuring Enerhoatom, the state-owned nuclear power enterprise, remains the sole operator.
"No one else knows the specifics of the [Zaporizhzhya power plant], except for Ukrainian specialists, since each nuclear unit has its own individual specifics," Omelchenko said.
Ukraine has 15 operable reactors across four nuclear plants -- one of which, the Zaporizhzhya plant, is occupied by Russia. Two reactors are officially under construction but no active work has been reported in more than 30 years, according to the 2024 World Nuclear Industry Status Report.
Of the 15 nuclear reactors, 12 are Soviet-era reactors connected to the grid before Ukraine gained independence in 1991. The country's Soviet-era nuclear fleet provides over half of the country's energy.
Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plants Under Fire
The situation in Ukraine is unprecedented. Active war has never been fought in a nation with multiple nuclear power plants. In addition to the occupation of Zaporizhzhya, Russian drones have buzzed uncomfortably close to the Khmelnytskiy nuclear plant in western Ukraine. Missiles and drones have flown close to the Rivne plant in western Ukraine. And, in February, a Russian drone struck the shelter covering the ruins of Chernobyl's destroyed reactor.
"The presence of American business, American interests there, will be a kind of security guarantee," said political expert Igor Reuterovich. While Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian infrastructure, the presence of American personnel on the ground would be seen as a potential red line that Moscow would be hesitant to cross.
In recent years, Ukraine has been trying to reduce its dependency on Russian nuclear technology. An agreement between global nuclear giant Westinghouse and Enerhoatom was signed in June 2022, guaranteeing that the company would provide all the nuclear fuel for Ukraine's reactors, breaking the monopoly Russia once held. There are also plans under way to build new reactors using US technology at the Khmelnytskiy nuclear power plant.
"It is clear that there is a guarantee of safety here, but also an interest in important investments, cooperation with Westinghouse and other American companies, [and the] supply of equipment.... There are many positives in involving Americans," Omelchenko said.
Concerns About US Presence In Ukraine
The devil, of course, is in the details. In a March 20 CNN article, Western experts poured cold water on the idea of the US running Ukrainian nuclear plants. Of concern was maintaining a stable power supply and sufficient water for cooling amid ongoing attacks on infrastructure. And in practical terms, the experts said, Western nuclear technicians lacked experience working with the Soviet-designed VVER reactors used in Ukraine.
There has also been a discrepancy regarding what exactly was discussed between Trump and Zelenskyy in their March 19 phone call. According to the Ukrainian president, the two leaders' discussion focused exclusively on the Zaporizhzhya plant. The White House statement, however, mentions "plants" in the plural --not just Zaporizhzhya.
While Zelenskyy is eager for US help, he is committed to preserving Ukraine’s sovereignty, especially in a sector so closely tied to national security. In the phone call with Trump, he stated clearly that "all nuclear power plants in Ukraine are owned by the Ukrainian people."
One possible compromise that experts have suggested would be putting Americans on the supervisory boards of nuclear plants or even Enerhoatom itself -- a move that would provide influence and security without transferring ownership.
For others, US involvement would not be enough to remedy the situation. "There can only be one way to return Zaporizhzhya [to Ukraine]" said political expert Vadym Denysenko, and that's "if Russian troops leave [the nearby city of] Enerhodar...and this territory in general. I don't see any other options."
Chernobyl, the site of the infamous nuclear catastrophe in 1986, shows the limitations of an international presence. Even with significant international funding and a high global profile, the nonoperational Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant still became a target during the conflict.
That occurred on the night of February 14, when a Russian drone with a high-explosive warhead hit the vast shelter that stops radiation from escaping from the destroyed fourth reactor.
"If American specialists...come to Ukrainian energy facilities and stay there, then of course there will be less chance that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will shoot at these facilities," Serhiy Taran, a Ukrainian political scientist, told RFE/RL.
"They should hire security personnel," though, added Taran, "and it would be desirable that this security personnel be armed with air defense systems."
