Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the decision of the country's parliament - the Verkhovna Rada, to approve the purchase of the two reactors from the "Belene" NPP, calling it a "significant step" towards Ukraine's energy security.
"Ukraine will be able to complete two more power units of the Khmelnytskyi NPP. This is more than two gigawatts of electricity. And to be clear - during these difficult winter months we may have to import this amount of electricity from our neighbors.
However, the completed reactors will allow us to do without imports, even during the winter months. And this will certainly help us limit electricity prices for people," Zelensky said.
Earlier, the opposition criticized the majority in the Verkhovna Rada on the pretext that in the midst of the war with Russia, Russian equipment is being purchased at an opaque price.
"Of course, there are critical voices, but these are the voices of those for whom cheap energy in Ukraine simply will not bring profit. They fill their pockets and the pockets of those on whom they depend with energy that is more expensive than nuclear."
Zelensky pointed out that increasing nuclear capacity will help Ukraine implement a number of projects, including in the development of rare earth mineral deposits in cooperation with the United States:
"Ukraine will be able to negotiate with more confidence when it knows that in the future it will be able to rely on an additional, significant source of electricity".