Belarus seeks compensation from Russia for delayed nuclear plant launch

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has issued demands towards Russia. His objective? Compensation for the postponed launch of the Belarusian nuclear power plant which is being built by Rosatom.

The western region of Grodno, near Ostrovets and approximately 155 miles from the Polish border, has been the construction site of a nuclear power plant for just under a decade. The power plant, originally scheduled to be operational by 2020, has faced continuous delays in its delivery. For the construction of this facility, undertaken by Rosatom, Minsk had to secure a hefty loan of roughly 10 billion dollars from the Kremlin.

Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus, is irate and is demanding compensation.

"According to the agreement, we sought compensation. There's no sense in denying it. Such issues arose due to the exceeding of the deadlines for the power plant handover, for which the Russian side is responsible," stated the dictator, as reported by the Belt agency.

Lukashenko has shared that the Russians have proposed compensation in the form of offering nuclear fuel at Russian domestic prices and a five-year warranty period. He has urged governmental representatives to voice their opinion on this matter.

"We shouldn't, of course, unnecessarily burden the Russians. We had, and still have, enough electricity, but an agreement is an agreement," Lukashenko noted.