The White House said taking ownership of Ukrainian plants would give them the “best protection.” The idea faces legal hurdles and operational challenges, and it’s unclear if Ukraine would agree to it.

Ukraine operates four nuclear power plants with a total of 15 reactors, including Zaporizhzhia, which has been under Russian control since 2022. Russia’s attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure mean Kyiv’s capacity is now at around a third of what it was at the beginning of 2022.

The U.S. administration suggested this week the United States could help run and possibly own Ukraine's power plants and energy infrastructure as part of a ceasefire deal with Russia. Although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he and Trump discussed only the vast Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,