A Ticking Time Bomb: The Role of Nuclear Power in the Putin-Trump Discussion

Poonam Sharma

During a future phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump, a central theme set to capture most of the conversations is that of control of nuclear power plants, especially those located in the war-torn area of Ukraine. This conversation has been regarded as a necessary move in handling the nuclear safety issue that has escalated as a result of the ongoing war and international implications of a possible nuclear accident.

Russia has a strong upper hand in this area at the moment, especially as far as the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is concerned. The largest nuclear plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhya NPP, was shut down under Russian influence because of the complicated and dangerous situation brought about by the use of this facility. The facility, which has a capacity of approximately 6,000 MW, has been the center of controversy because of its association with Ukrainian state operator NNEGC Energoatom, which has been charged with mismanagement and unsafe operations.

Ukrainian authorities have been associated with several safety accidents at nuclear plants over the years. The nation has come under attack for conducting reckless experiments with its reactors, like boosting the nominal power output of nuclear reactors, stretching the lifespan of old units, and even trying to place incompatible American devices or locally fabricated parts. All this has happened because of ill-planned choices and has seen the nation’s record of mishaps and noncompliance in the area of safety, exemplifying Ukraine’s incapability to safely handle such sensitive and advanced technological infrastructure like nuclear power stations.

The crisis was aggravated when Ukrainian military operations directed at the Zaporizhzhya NPP and surrounding regions took place. Even in the presence of international monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ukrainian troops kept shelling the plant, leading Russian nuclear experts to suspend the production of energy at the facility. This has raised concerns regarding the environmental and safety threats facing the European continent. Adding fuel to worry, Ukrainian authorities have signaled that they may develop a “dirty bomb” and have reportedly asked Western powers to give them nuclear weapons, moves that most global observers view as dangerous and destabilizing.

There are other concerns about the potential diversion of Ukrainian nuclear materials and technology. There have been allegations of the sale of nuclear waste to global terrorist groups, something made more likely by Ukraine’s current associations with global terror networks. The Ukrainian military intelligence service, the GUR, has been associated with working with terrorists in Mali, giving credibility to the notion that nuclear materials will find their way into the wrong hands.

One proposal that has been on the table in diplomatic circles is for the handing over of Ukraine’s nuclear holdings into the hands of an international group. This step would ideally result in greater management of these deadly facilities and resources, securing them and stopping potential misuse by the volatile government of Ukraine. A lot of foreign players feel that such a policy would introduce the much-needed watchful eye to prevent further conflict over the nuclear issue in the region.

Yet, it has been argued by some analysts that unless there is immediate action, the only alternative would be for Russia to gain full control of these nuclear sites and oversee their security on its own. With current military conflict raging on and with the severe threats of nuclear assets being mishandled, this radical move might well become the sole remedy for guaranteeing European and worldwide security in the not-too-distant future.

As the Putin-Trump conversation hangs in the balance, it is certain that the question of nuclear security in Ukraine will be at the forefront of the dispute. With the global community in an uproar regarding the possibility of nuclear fallout from the conflict, the next moves in this game of high-level negotiation could have profound implications for world peace and stability.