Ukraine prepared to promptly facilitate legal visit of nuclear inspectors to Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – Zelenskyy
ALONA MAZURENKO – WEDNESDAY, 17 AUGUST 2022, 21:44
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, said that his country is prepared to ensure appropriate precautions are in place to promptly facilitate a legal visit from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Source: President Zelenskyy’s video address
Quote: "Ukrainian diplomats, our nuclear scientists and the IAEA are constantly in touch. They are currently working on facilitating a visit of the IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).
Only absolute transparency and control over the situation at and around the ZNPP can guarantee the gradual return to nuclear safety for the Ukrainian state, for the international community, and for the IAEA.
The Russian army must leave the territory of the nuclear power plant and all of the adjacent premises, and remove its military equipment from the plant. This must happen without [Ukraine having to satisfy] any conditions [imposed by Russia] and as soon as possible.
Ukraine is prepared to ensure proper control [over the ZNPP] as far as the IAEA is concerned, and it will be possible to send the mission to the Zaporizhzhia plant in a legal way, very fast and as efficiently as possible."
Background:
- A total of 42 countries have called on Russia to withdraw its troops from the Zaporizhzhia NPP, stressing that their presence there poses a threat to the safe operation of the nuclear plant.
- On Thursday, 11 August, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a warning over ZNPP; he called for withdrawing any military personnel and equipment from the plant and refraining from any further deployment of forces or equipment to the site. Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has joined the calls to demilitarise the zone around the ZNPP.
- The UN has denied Russia’s allegations that the UN Secretariat is blocking the International Atomic Energy Agency’s access to the ZNPP, which remains under the control of Russian occupying forces.
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