Ex-Minister of Housing Oleksiy Kucherenko: Ukrainian Energy is a US Geopolitical Game

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In the telephone conversation of Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelensky, the American leader raised the topic of possible transmission to the US power system and nuclear power plants.

“American ownership of these stations would be the best protection for this infrastructure and support of Ukrainian energy infrastructure,” the White House administration reported.

Journalist Briefly about learned how real such a step and what it can lead to in former Minister of Housing and Former First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Fuel and Energy Complex, Nuclear Policy and Nuclear Security Alexei Kucherenko.

Atomic energy is forbidden to privatization – What do you think about the energy is – distribution stations, transmission lines, nuclear and hydroelectric power plants?

Alexey Kucherenko, fuel and energy complex, nuclear policy and nuclear security. Photo: FB Alexey Kucherenko

– We do not know the details. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that it is only about the management of the Zaporozhye NPP. And the White House considers this proposal wider as one that touches all Ukrainian energy. But the Law of Ukraine clearly stipulates that nuclear power is forbidden to privatization, in terms of national security. Although it would be nice if there was a mechanism for joint management of the ZPP. He could have been useful for his release, restart and further operation for some time. In principle, politically this model is acceptable, but you need to know the details of this agreement.

– Americans are convinced that if the nuclear power plants are transferred under their management, it will protect them from the threat of blows from Russia. Is that so?

– This issue has a rather spicy situation. If you consider the transfer of Americans as a solution to safety problems, then let’s continue this list and further – we give them together our ports, bridges, railways, factories. And then the Parliament, the Cabinet and the President’s office. This is, of course, a joke, but if we consider the transfer as a safety factor, we can go far. Therefore, this is not quite a partnership position – to manipulate the topic of safety at Ukrainian facilities that the US wants to get.

Akhmetov can sleep calmly but price growth is inevitable – The desire to get our energy is a threat to our oligarchs who own energy systems in the country, such as Akhmetov? They can select energy property?

– If you go “unpredict”, you can do it. But we have different levels of manager of the energy system. If we talk specifically about Akhmetov, about its operation with energy objects, it is exactly that his company DTEK (the largest private investor of the energy industry of Ukraine. —Red.), Perhaps, is probably the best in the country. Even better than state -owned enterprises. But if someone wants to view the results of primary privatization of energy objects, then it will open a box of Pandora, and I do not think that Americans are talking about it.

Americans in Ukraine had an interest in other facilities – in our gas transportation systems, an oil pipe. When I was still the People’s Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the III convocation, I met with the then US Ambassador to Ukraine in Ukraine, Carlos Pascal, who then studied this gas issue very carefully. That is, America was interested in working together on the creation of energy and gas hub in Ukraine. This is a very serious and promising task that needs to be worked on. But if we are talking to know our energy objects just to protect against shelling, it is inappropriate and inappropriate. The country will just end there, and we can become another “51 state”.

– What can US control over the Ukrainian energy system? Will it lead to electricity prices?

– It can undoubtedly be positive, but it is only in professional and adequate hands. This is a question to our current authorities. But now I am not delighted with their professionalism. With regard to price growth, as soon as we have generally decided our movement to the European Union, our European integration has already launched an inevitable increase in energy prices. If we integrate into the European Union, it means the integration of markets, energy and gas, the equalization of our and European price levels. This is not an instant process, but it is a established tendency to align.

I can not say that it is catastrophically, because such a process will definitely entail the level of income in the labor market. That is, the income of people will also be tightened, and it will be a difficult, complex process. Certainly, the risk area will be pensioners and other unprotected sections of the population, which will be difficult to integrate into a new format of energy prices. This will not be so critical for able -bodied youth. But this process is inevitable based on the priorities of European integration. And anyone who says that there will be no price increase – the Ukrainian people are fooled.

The entire power system of Ukraine is strategic objects – What is the benefit of the United States from our nuclear power plants?

– Given the pragmatism of Donald Trump and his business approach and in terms of the geopolitical energy strategy, I assume that the states are interested in cooperation in organizing partnership with Ukrainian authorities on our energy. And this can work to strengthen our positions. The main thing is to keep our sovereignty, despite cooperation with the United States.

Therefore, it is necessary here to be objectively, pragmatically and rationally, to analyze all our recent energy history in the last few decades and find the right way out of this situation. Unfortunately, this process will take place in extreme conditions, that is, not as it could be done 10-20 years ago, calmly and carefully. Now we have a much smaller maneuver field.

– How can Trump monetize his benefits from our energy?

– All power system and nuclear stations of Ukraine were built during the USSR for Soviet energy expansion into Europe. And now these are strategic objects. Sooner or later with Russia will be restored to some relationships and It will be interested in exporting its energy to Europe, most of which will go through Ukraine. Trump understands this perfectly, so he tries to consolidate his influence on Ukrainian energy. Therefore, it is certainly a global geopolitical game of the United States.

Source: kp.ua