The Russian government considers that there is not much chance right now of reaching an indirect agreement with Ukraine to ensure the safety of the Zaporizhzhia plant under the mediation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear agency, which has repeatedly advocated declaring the facility a neutral and inviolable site to avoid a catastrophe.
The Zaporizhzhia plant is the largest in Europe and has six reactors commissioned between 1984 and 1995. It has been controlled by Russian forces since March last year, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, and has been the scene of constant offensives and a coveted target for both Kiev and Moscow.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi visited the nuclear power plant at the end of the month and reported that talks between the Russian and Ukrainian sides had recently focused on establishing a series of »basic principles of protection», leaving aside the IAEA’s intention to get both countries to agree to establish this »zone» of protection around the facilities.
Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to the international organizations in Vienna, has expressed his pessimism about the development of the talks and, in particular, about the exact consideration of the status of the plant.
Ulianov confirmed in this sense that the IAEA will eliminate the term »zone» to describe the area around the plant, understanding that this word carries connotations of territorial domain that could derail the indirect negotiations with Kiev in this sense.
There are possibilities of reaching an agreement», Ulianov indicated in declarations to the Russia-24 channel reported by the TASS agency, »but they are not too great», before reproaching Kiev for its »negative position» on these aspects to be dealt with, with the consequent increase in the difficulty of the negotiations.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
