Lavrov: Kyiv has blocked an agreement on a protective zone around the ZNPP
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An agreement on the creation of a nuclear safety zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was close, but it was blocked by the Ukrainian authorities, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conferences.
Lavrov, speaking about the grain deal, pointed out that earlier UN Secretary General António Guterres “linked” its extension to the issues of the exchange of prisoners of war and the “demilitarization” of the ZNPP.
“No one, except for Ukraine itself, has ever talked about any demilitarization. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is doing this,” Lavrov said.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has been promoting an agreement to declare the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant a nuclear safety zone for several months, Lavrov recalled.
“There was never any talk of demilitarization. We actively cooperated with the CEO, the agreement was close, we were ready to support it, it was blocked by Kiev,” he added.
Earlier, Grossi repeatedly stressed the importance of creating a security zone around the Zaporozhye NPP. According to him, on this issue, he will continue to conduct “intensive” consultations with Russia and Ukraine.
In December, a year passed by the General Director of Rosatom Alexei Likhachev saidthat negotiations with the IAEA regarding the creation of a protective zone near the Zaporozhye NPP are ongoing, but the “ball” is not on the side of Russia. Even then Likhachev declared the need to create a security zone around the station as soon as possible, “otherwise it will look like just dragging out time.”
Russia has controlled the Zaporozhye NPP since the end of February 2022, since then the plant and the city of Energodar, in which it is located, have been subjected to regular shelling from Ukraine. In early October, after the Zaporozhye region became part of Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed to take the plant facilities into federal ownership and create the Zaporozhye NPP FSUE to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities.
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