Bulgaria has made a deal to transfer nuclear power plants to Ukraine so it can continue to produce its own energy, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Under the deal, which is still being negotiated, Sofia’s state power company NEK would sell Ukrainian state nuclear company Energoatom equipment from the unfinished Belene Nuclear Power Plant for at least 600 million euros, or around $650 million, officials and others familiar with the situation said.
Zelensky has been on a diplomatic offensive in Eastern Europe, shoring up support for Ukraine among countries that have had generally friendly relations with Russia. The support of Bulgaria for Ukraine is another diplomatic defeat for Putin’s Russia.
The Belene plant has become a major flashpoint in Bulgaria, which is divided between those seeking closer integration with the West and those who want to reinforce cultural and economic links to Russia.
On Thursday, the Bulgarian parliament passed a decision requiring the government to conduct negotiations with Kyiv for the sale.
Ukraine is not able to afford the transfer immediately, but the United States and the European Union have vowed to provide funds to pay for it. Bulgaria has also been finding alternative energy sources, as it had previously heavily relied on Russian natural gas.
Ukraines energy supply has been grossly damaged by the war. It cannot access energy from Russia, and many of its nuclear power plants are in the East and occupied by Russia. The Chernobyl plant was taken back when Russia withdrew from the North of the country and the Zapotizha plant has been dangerously close to an accident.
Europe is generally an energy poor continent, and some countries such as France and zukrainr have been relying on nuclear energy to fill the shortfall.
