Belarus wants to build a nuclear power plant to supply electricity to Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine

This was reported by the Reuters agency.

Alexander Lukashenko voiced the idea during talks in the Kremlin with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

“If a decision is made, we will immediately begin building a new power unit or even a new station – if there is a need for electricity in Western Russia or in the ‘liberated territories,’” Lukashenko said, using Moscow’s terminology for the occupied parts of Ukraine.

Putin responded that “financing isn’t a problem at all. If there’s a consumer who will take the electricity and pay the tariff, then it’s not a problem at all.”

The proposal underscores the close ties between Putin and Lukashenko, even as US President Donald Trump simultaneously attempts to influence the Belarusian leader by offering sanctions relief in exchange for the release of political prisoners and rapprochement with the West.

Belarus remains a close ally of Moscow and supports the war against Ukraine, notably by allowing its territory to be used for a Russian invasion in 2022. Putin meets with Lukashenko more often than with any other foreign leader.