The US State Department said on Sunday that Russia does not want to recognize the serious risk of radioactive leaks at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. According to the United States, this is the main reason why Russia on Friday blocked the adoption of a joint statement at the end of the UN Review Conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
“Only the Russian Federation decided to block consensus on a final document at the end of the Tenth Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. Only Russia did so because of the text recognizing the serious radiological risk at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine,” he says. Ministry of the Russian Federation in a statement.
The shelling of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has caused widespread international concern. Local residents also fear that the attacks could trigger a nuclear disaster.
Shameless politics
Moscow has already labeled parts of Friday’s speech “blatantly political”. Russian ambassador Igor Vishnevetsky spoke of the lack of “balance” in the draft final speech, which ran to more than thirty pages. The representative did not provide details, but the text contained four references to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Sources close to the talks said Moscow specifically objected to those passages.
The 191 signatories to the treaty, which aims to prevent nuclear proliferation, complete disarmament and promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, have been meeting since August 1 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.