Washington’s involvement may also help mitigate political opposition in Europe, while giving the U.S. strategic visibility over future Russian energy flows, sources told Reuters.
The agreement, signed on April 30, establishes a joint investment fund between Kyiv and Washington and grants the U.S. special access to projects developing Ukraine's natural resources.
Ukraine is considering moving away from the U.S. dollar and closer to the euro as a benchmark for the hryvnia, National Bank Governor Andrii Pyshnyi told Reuters.
The first unit of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant near Netishyn, western Ukraine, on August 31, 2023. (Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images)
Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has expressed concerns regarding the security and safety of nuclear facilities following a recent attack on Khmelnytskyi Oblast on Oct. 25 that damaged buildings adjacent to the region's nuclear power plant.
In a statement issued by the IAEA, Grossi emphasized the fragile state of nuclear safety, warning that the attack "underlines the extremely precarious nuclear safety situation in Ukraine."
The IAEA confirmed that there was no direct impact on the operations of the nuclear power plant from the attack, and that the blasts did not affect the site's connection to the national electricity grid.
Moscow has previously admitted to targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure as one of its primary objectives. At the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the IAEA has observed previously reported anti-personnel mines in the facility.
Ukrainian officials have expressed concerns that Russia might escalate its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the upcoming fall and winter months.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Daria Shulzhenko
