According to the report, the US could also partially fund the purchase of nuclear equipment.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy waits for President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola in Lviv, Ukraine 03/04/2023 Press Service of the President of Ukraine/Handout via Portal
rt According to The Wall Street Journal, Bulgaria is close to finalizing a deal to sell two Russianbuilt nuclear power plants to Ukraine’s stateowned energy company Energoatom for around $650 million.
Under the terms of the proposed deal, which has not yet been completed, NEK, the Sofia Energy Group, would sell two power plants of the uncompleted Belene Nuclear Power Plant in Bulgaria to the Ukrainian company. The WSJ reported that it was the first time Russiandeveloped nuclear equipment had been used to boost Kiev’s electricity production.
The same publication also notes that the mills have proposed two main payment methods so far. One would be that the United States would pass some of the funds to Energoatom as part of an aid package to Ukraine that would later be transferred to NEK.
Another option, according to the WSJ, would be for Sofia to take a minority stake in the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, where the equipment would be installed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Sofia on Thursday for a oneday visit and is expected to discuss the nuclear deal with Bulgarian officials.
Also on Thursday, Sofia’s parliament passed a motion calling on the government to hold talks with Kiev on the sale of nuclear equipment. The proposal has been criticized by proMoscow opposition parties in Bulgaria, who say it was rushed through the legislature to avoid blockade attempts.
PROCEED TO RECOMMENDATIONS
The possible sale of the nuclear power plants also makes it clear that the European energy market is in transition after the EU stopped most of its imports of Russian oil, gas and coal last year due to Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. Previously, even Bulgaria was largely dependent on Russia for gas supplies.
The still unfinished Belene Nuclear Power Plant has been the subject of much controversy since the project began in the 1980s. Construction at the site has been halted and resumed several times, with some Western governments opposing the possibility that the power plant could be dependent on Russia for fuel.
It has also been criticized by environmental groups, who say being in an earthquake zone poses an unnecessary risk.
For Kiev, on the other hand, the Sovietdesigned Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant in western Ukraine already has trained technicians to operate Russian nuclear power plants, which could enable new energy exports from Kiev to Europe.
On Thursday, two proRussian parties in Sofia, the Socialist Party and the nationalist Revival party, voted against the sale of the works to Kiev.