UN Ready To Facilitate IAEA Visit To Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Russia's Turn To Discuss Battle Risks

PLTN Zaporizhzhia di Ukraina. (Wikimedia Commons/Ralf1969)

JAKARTA - The United Nations (UN) has the logistical and security capacity to support the visit of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), a spokesman said as Russia said a mission through the Ukrainian capital was too dangerous.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, "The UN Secretariat has no authority to block or cancel the activities of the IAEA."

Dujarric was responding to Russia's accusations that UN security had blocked the visit of IAEA inspectors to Europe's largest nuclear power plant, which Russia seized in March following its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

He said, "in close contact with the IAEA, the UN Secretariat has assessed it has the logistical and security capacity in Ukraine, to be able to support the IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from Kyiv," he said.

But he said Russia and Ukraine had to agree. Both countries said they wanted IAEA inspectors to visit. Meanwhile, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said he was ready to lead the mission, calling on Russia and Ukraine to cooperate.

Separately in Moscow, Russian news agencies quoted a senior diplomat as saying no such mission could pass through Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, as proposed by the United Nations.

"Imagine what it means to pass through Kyiv, it means they get to nuclear plants through the front lines," RIA news agency quoted Igor Vishnevetsky, deputy head of the foreign ministry's department of nuclear proliferation and arms control, as telling reporters.

"This is a huge risk, given that the Ukrainian armed forces are not all 'made' in the same way," he said.

Citing TASS, Vishnevetsky said such a mission does not have the mandate to deal with the "demilitarization" of nuclear power plants as requested by Kyiv, as it can only deal with "fulfillment of IAEA guarantees."

Whereas previously, Vishnevetsky expected UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to take a number of steps, to support the visit of the IAEA delegation to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

"Now, it is up to the UN Secretariat and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres himself, as he is one of those whose words of support for this visit are needed."

"At some point, we were ready to accept inspectors, everything was ready. However, the UN Secretariat Security Department refused to allow it. The IAEA must not violate that recommendation. The mission did not happen. This came as a big surprise to everyone, including IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. ," he explained.

The explanation refers to the original plan, in which the mission led by the IAEA will carry out inspections in June.