President Donald Trump has proposed that the US assume control of Ukraine's nuclear power plants (NPPs) to safeguard the country's energy infrastructure as part of a ceasefire plan, the president said during a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on March 19.

Trump suggested the US take operational control or may take over the ownership of the NPPs, which now generate virtually all of Ukraine’s power.

“He said the United States could be very helpful in ensuring these plants continue to operate,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on March 19. “If the United States owned them, that would offer the best protection for this infrastructure and support Ukraine’s energy needs.” 

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright highlighted America's technical expertise, stating: "We have immense technical expertise in the United States to run those plants. I don't think that requires boots on the ground." ​

Energy Secretary Wright said that US management of Ukrainian NPPs could facilitate peace efforts, stating, "How do we bring peace to Ukraine? How do we get this fighting to stop? Which takes both sides to lay down their arms? But if it was helpful to achieve that end, have the US run nuclear power plants in Ukraine. No problem, we can do that." ​

The phone conversation focused on Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), Europe’s most powerful reactor and located in the eponymous region, which is also one of the four regions annexed by Russia in 2023. Zelenskiy said he and Trump had only discussed the ZNPP situation and did not confirm plans for the US to take control of Ukraine's NPP fleet. 

ZNPP has already been mentioned in the negotiations with Russia as it is currently under Russian control and could become a bargaining chip in the ongoing talks to find a ceasefire agreement.

Trump called Zelenskiy to brief him on his 1.5-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin a day earlier where Russia agreed to halt attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for 30 days. Details of the possible NPP operations will be discussed at a meeting this weekend in Saudi Arabia.

Zelenskiy said the halt on energy strikes in the war with Russia could be established quickly, but warned Ukraine would respond in kind if Moscow violated the terms of the limited ceasefire. Zelenskiy said Kyiv would draw up a list of facilities that could be subject to a partial ceasefire brokered by Washington that would include not only energy, but also rail and port infrastructure. 

Zelenskiy also requested additional air defence systems from the US to protect civilians, a request Trump agreed to address by coordinating with European allies. ​

Zelenskiy also said that Ukraine had received new supplies of several F-16 fighter jets, but he declined to say exactly how many or when exactly the delivery had happened, Reuters reports.

A tired Zelenskiy told reporters the call with Trump was, "probably his most substantive and positive" talks yet and added that he had not felt under pressure, Reuters reports. 

The proposal that the US take control of Ukraine’s five working NPPs is a new addition to the previously discussed harsh minerals deal where the US would take half of the revenues from the exploitation of Ukraine’s considerable mineral resources. That deal has been put on pause until a ceasefire agreement can be struck with Russia.

The White House noted that Trump has "moved beyond" earlier proposals involving American companies extracting oil, gas and rare metals in Ukraine, focusing instead on stabilising the region's energy infrastructure in the readout of the call with Zelenskiy.

Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has said another round of talks between Russian and US officials, aimed at a permanent ceasefire and end to the war, will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on March 23, but it was unclear whether Ukraine would be involved in those talks.