UN Demands Russia Withdraw from Europe’s Largest Nuclear PlantUN Demands Russia Withdraw from Europe’s Largest Nuclear Plant The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution demanding that Russia hand back Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, to Ukraine due to “precarious nuclear safety and security.” Votes: * Approved by 99 votes to nine * 60 countries abstained * 25 countries did not vote Opposing Countries: * Russia * Belarus * Cuba * Eritrea * Mali * Nicaragua * Syria * Burundi * North Korea Concerns: * Fears of a nuclear catastrophe since Russian occupation in February 2022 * Crossfire and power outages have jeopardized plant’s operation * International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed alarm * Potential repercussions more severe than the Chernobyl disaster Ukraine’s Appeal: * Ukraine’s UN ambassador warned of the inevitable consequences of an incident, worse than Chernobyl * Demanded urgent withdrawal of Russian forces Russia’s Response: * Russia accused the resolution’s supporters of promoting a “false Western narrative” * Claimed that threats to nuclear facilities originate from Ukraine
UN demands Russia hand Europe’s largest nuclear plant back to Ukraine over ‘precarious safety’
The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution demanding Russia urgently withdraws from Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
It expressed “grave concern over the precarious nuclear safety and security situation” at the plant, which it said must be returned to Ukrainian control.
The resolution was approved by 99 votes to nine, with 60 countries abstaining and 25 countries not voting.
Russia was joined by Belarus, Cuba, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, Syria, Burundi and North Korea in opposing it.
There have been fears of a nuclear catastrophe since Russian troops occupied the plant shortly after invading Ukraine in February 2022.
Zaporizhzhia, which has six nuclear reactors, sits in Russian-controlled territory in south-eastern Ukraine near the front lines and has been continually caught in crossfire.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly expressed alarm about cuts to Zaporizhzhia’s electricity, which is crucial for the plant’s operation.
Ukraine’s UN ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said the repercussions of a possible incident “would be even more catastrophic” than the Chernobyl plant explosion in 1986.
Mr Kyslytsya warned that “if we simply stand with our arms crossed, that good luck will not last forever, and an incident will be inevitable”.
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky accused the communique’s supporters of trying “to promote the false Western narrative about the source of threats to nuclear facilities in Ukraine”.
