Russian news agencies reported, citing a Russian foreign ministry official, that the mission should not pass through Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, as suggested by the UN.
The United Nations has the logistical capacity and means to guarantee safety in order to organize a visit by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia, Ukraine, a spokesman for the international agency said on Monday, but a Russian diplomat set conditions for her, stressing that it would be too dangerous for the shipment to go to the factory via Kiev.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric noted yesterday that “the UN Secretariat does not have the jurisdiction to block or cancel any IAEA activities.”
It was responding to Russia’s accusation that the UN security agency prevented IAEA inspectors from visiting Europe’s largest nuclear plant, which was seized by the Russian military in March, in the first stage of the war since it invaded Ukrainian territory on February 24.
According to Mr. Dujarric, “in close contact with the IAEA, the UN Secretariat believes that it has the logistical capability and means to guarantee security to be able to support any IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant from Kyiv”.
But he insisted that the warring parties, Russia and Ukraine, would have to agree first.
Both countries have announced that they want a team of IAEA inspectors to visit the factory. Its head, Rafael Grossi, says he is willing to lead this mission and has called on Russia and Ukraine to cooperate.
In Moscow, Russian news agencies reported, citing a Russian foreign ministry official, that the mission should not pass through Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, as suggested by the UN.
“Imagine what it means for them to go through Kyiv — it means that they will go to the nuclear power plant by going through the front line,” Igor Vishnevetsky, deputy director of the Department for Nuclear Proliferation and Equipment Control at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told reporters. , according to the RIA news agency.
“This is a huge risk, given that not all Ukrainian military officials share the same views,” he added.
Russia, which refers to its military invasion of Ukraine as a “special military operation”, accuses Kiev’s military and much of its political establishment of being dependent on nationalists and “Nazis”.
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Mr. Vishnevetsky also said that any such mission would not be mandated to discuss the “demilitarization” of the plant that Kyiv is demanding, only the “fulfillment of IAEA guarantees.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for an end to all military activity in the area of ​​the Zaporizhia nuclear plant. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of artillery shelling in the region.
Mr Guterres spoke with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Monday about the conditions for the safe operation of the factory in Zaporizhia, according to statements from the United Nations and Moscow.
RES-EMP
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