Countries opposing the draft resolution, which calls for Russia to immediately withdraw its troops and personnel from the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant and return the facility to Ukraine, include Russia, Belarus, Cuba, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, Syria, Burundi and North Korea. Countries that are abstained from the resolution include China, India and South Africa.
The decision noted that the nuclear threat and security situation in Zaporizhia were of serious concern and stressed that the return of the facility to Ukraine was important for safety and security. It also stressed the need for the International Atomic Energy Agency to return full control to Ukraine so that it can take the necessary protective measures.
The resolution reiterated Russia’s call to abandon its aggressive policies towards Ukraine and withdraw all its troops, and stressed support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. The Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant is located in the Russian-controlled territory of south-eastern Ukraine and is at constant risk of conflict.
Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, stated that Russia violated the principles of nuclear safety and continued its attacks on Zaporizhia. Keeping the bitter memory of the Chernobyl disaster alive, Kyslytsya warned that the consequences of a nuclear disaster in Zaporizhia could be much more devastating.
Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky accused the countries supporting the resolution of pro-Western misinformation, arguing that threats against Ukraine’s nuclear facilities were simply Kiev’s aggressive policies against Zaporizhia.
