Leonid Kuchma, Ukraine’s president, has given 15 December 2000 as the final date for closing down the only operational reactor at Chernobyl, number three. The pledge came despite the lack of funds to complete the unfinished nuclear stations at Rovne and Khmelnitsky (R4 & K2), previously seen as the biggest sticking point for closure of Chernobyl. The announcement from Kuchma came during a visit from Bill Clinton, the US president, when he pledged to provide $80 million for remedial safety measures at the Chernobyl site and other work on the Ukraine energy sector. Estimates for the cost of securing the Chernobyl site and completing K2 and R4 stand at as much as $2 billion.
Canada has pledged a further C$18 million ($12 million) to assist with the closure of the plant.
