US says ready to take over Ukraine's nuclear power plants, Kiev refuses to attend upcoming US-Russia meeting

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US was ready to take over Ukraine's nuclear power plants if doing so would help secure a ceasefire and end the conflict in the Eastern European country.

A nuclear power plant in Ukraine. (Source: The Verge)

In an interview with Fox News on March 19, when asked about the possibility of US participation in the operation of Ukraine's nuclear power plants if this would help bring peace to Kiev, Secretary Wright asserted: "No problem, we can take that action."

Earlier, the White House announced after a phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that Washington could assist Kiev in operating nuclear power plants.

In another development, The Guardian newspaper on the same day quoted Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak confirming that Kiev will not participate in the negotiations between the US and Russian delegations scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia on March 23.

Mr. Podolyak admitted that the results of the phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky could lead to further negotiations with the participation of Kiev representatives.

Meanwhile, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said on March 19 that he had discussed with Mr. Yury Ushakov - Foreign Policy Advisor to the Russian President - about the upcoming meeting between US and Russian technical teams in Riyadh, where the two sides will discuss the possibility of a ceasefire in Ukraine.

During a regular press briefing, the head of the US State Department press service, Tammy Bruce, said that the new round of negotiations between Russia and the US on resolving the Ukraine issue will not take place at the ministerial level.

"These will be senior officials. That's all I can tell you. Not ministerial people. These will be senior officials discussing the technical framework (of a prospective ceasefire in Ukraine). It will take place in the coming days," Ms Bruce said.

Such contacts could take place in a trilateral format, involving not only Russia and the United States, but also Ukraine, Ms. Bruce added.

Earlier, on March 18, US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced in an interview with Fox News that new contacts between Russia and the US would take place "on March 23 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia".

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/my-noi-san-sang-tiep-quan-cac-nha-may-dien-nuclear-of-ukraine-kiev-tu-choi-tham-du-cuoc-gap-my-nga-sap-toi-308215.html