Russia-US Talks on Zaporizhzhia Management Exclude Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin disclosed on Thursday that Russia and the United States are engaged in talks over joint management of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility, without Ukraine's involvement. The discussions, which took place amid ongoing shuttle diplomacy, include proposals for using the plant's electricity to power cryptocurrency mining operations and to supply energy to Ukraine. The plant, located near the city of Enerhodar in southern Ukraine, has been under Russian control since March 2022.

Putin made the remarks during a meeting with business leaders, according to reports from Russian media. He stated that Washington has expressed interest in establishing crypto mining at the site, leveraging the facility's substantial energy output for high-volume computing. Additionally, the talks address the possibility of resuming electricity supplies to Ukraine from the plant, which previously generated about 20 percent of the country's power before the full-scale Russian invasion disrupted operations.

The Zaporizhzhia plant was seized by Russian forces early in the conflict and placed under the management of Rosatom, Russia's state...