The Security Department of the UN Secretariat acted irresponsibly by blocking the visit of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

This opinion was expressed on the air of radio Sputnik by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova.

“Unfortunately, the United Nations played a negative role in this case.

Not only not constructive, in my opinion, even some kind of strange one, which raises more questions in this case ... The decision of the UN Security Department, which was adopted, launched a whole chain of destructive events, ”said the diplomat.

According to her, the Kyiv regime regarded such a position of the world organization as a "green light" for its actions, and began to shell the nuclear power plant.

“The UN Secretariat, which deals with the problem of nuclear energy, including the consequences of man-made disasters, in general, problems in a broad sense, should understand that the world is walking on the edge,” Zakharova said.

She stressed that the actions of the Ukrainian authorities are illegal and destructive, and their consequences will not be limited by any geographic boundaries.   

“And how the UN Secretariat cannot fully realize this and put it on display for those employees who, obviously, under the influence of other countries, taking not an objective position, but being under the influence of relevant forces, cannot make the right decision, this is a big question "Zakharova said.

  • Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova

  • © RIA Novosti / Press Service of the Russian Foreign Ministry

Turned on the red light

Earlier, on August 9, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the planned trip of the IAEA mission to the ZNPP was disrupted at the last moment by one of the UN structures.

At the same time, the ministry noted that the route and schedule of the delegation's movement were agreed on June 3, and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi personally participated in the preparation of the visit.

“In the closest interaction with the agency, we managed to remove all the difficult issues related to the organization and holding of such a complex event in the current conditions.

However, at the last moment, the "red light" was turned on by the Security Department of the UN Secretariat.

The trip was canceled,” the Foreign Ministry website says.

The ministry emphasized that they are counting on assistance in this matter from the UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

On the same day, at a briefing, the official representative of the UN Secretary General, Stephane Dujarric, said that the world organization is making every effort to make the visit of specialists take place.

“We are determined to do everything in our power to get IAEA technicians to Zaporozhye,” the spokesman said.

He also recalled the words of Gutteres about the "suicidality" of attacks on a nuclear power plant.

“Anyone who makes such statements ... will not interfere with the visit of UN nuclear specialists,” Dujarric assured.

Meanwhile, on August 10, it became known that in connection with the Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Russia requested a meeting of the UN Security Council for August 11.

The information was confirmed by Dmitry Polyansky, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN.

“I confirm… This topic deserves a biased conversation with colleagues in the Security Council.

Ukrainian provocations should not be hidden from the general public,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.

In turn, the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, on the air of the Rossiya-24 TV channel, said that the IAEA director general had interrupted his vacation and would most likely make a report at the meeting.

The Russian diplomat also expressed the opinion that Western countries, having influence on Kyiv, could call on the Ukrainian side to stop shelling.

According to him, they will have such an opportunity on August 11. 

  • At the UN Security Council

  • RIA News

As the IAEA later reported, Rafael Grossi, director general of the agency, will take part in a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant on August 11 and will talk about the preparation of a mission to the plant.

The agency's website also notes that Grossi intends to personally lead the IAEA mission to the ZNPP.

"The Ukrainian side did not invite"

The prospect of an IAEA mission visiting the ZNPP did not find support in Kyiv.

As early as June 7, the Ukrainian operator Energoatom spoke out against it.

“The Ukrainian side did not invite Grossi to visit the ZNPP and had previously refused him such a visit, emphasizing that a visit to the plant would be possible only when control over it was returned to our country,” the operator’s Telegram channel says.

It also notes that the true intention of Rafael Grossi is supposedly to legitimize the presence of the Russian military at the nuclear power plant.

In addition, the statement emphasizes that a quarter of the IAEA leadership - about 100 people - are Russians, and the post of deputy director general of the agency is occupied by Russian citizen Mikhail Chudakov.

In addition, Energoatom noted, Grossi's previous visits to Ukraine "did not bring any benefit."

Meanwhile, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian military continues shelling the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, despite the fact that in this way they pose a threat to nuclear security not only in Ukraine, but also in Europe.

However, in Kyiv they are trying to shift the responsibility for provocations to the Russian side.

Thus, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, in a video message on August 6, said that the shelling was allegedly carried out by the Russian military.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called Zelensky's words cynicism, and also expressed the opinion that common sense had left the Ukrainian leaders.

At the same time, they noted that "the monstrous lies are willingly picked up by the sponsors of the Kyiv regime."

“Western governments are ready to jeopardize the security of their citizens in order to encourage provocations on the Ukrainian side,” Igor Vishnevetsky, deputy director of the Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) on August 8.

In particular, on the same day, the United States called on Russia to stop hostilities at Ukrainian nuclear facilities and return them to Ukrainian control.

On August 10, the Foreign Ministers of the G7 countries addressed Moscow with a similar appeal.

Their joint statement said that the Russian armed forces allegedly pose a threat to the security of these facilities and increase the risk of a nuclear accident.

At the same time, the ministers supported the intention of the IAEA to send specialists to the facility.

  • Symbols of the IAEA

  • AP

At the same time, Petr Kotin, director of the Ukrainian company Energoatom, threatened a new blow to the ZNPP, as Mikhail Kondratenkov, a representative of the Russian delegation, recalled when speaking at the NPT Review Conference.

“(Kotin. -

RT

) directly stated that Ukrainian troops could disable the power lines of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.

This is for those who blame Russia for all the shelling of nuclear power plants,” the diplomat said.

Power War

Experts agree that the current blocking of the trip of the IAEA mission to Ukraine is politically motivated.

“I think that there were some signals from Washington here and the decision of the UN Secretariat has no justification.

I believe that such actions make it possible to call into question the impartiality and professionalism of certain employees of the organization.

The shelling of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant by the Armed Forces of Ukraine is an act of terrorism, and those who ignore this situation and continue to send weapons to Kyiv are accomplices in Ukrainian actions, ”senator Konstantin Dolgov said in a conversation with RT.

A similar point of view is shared by the associate professor of Moscow State University Boris Mezhuev. 

“Perhaps the UN Secretariat believes that such a visit serves the political interests of Russia.

Although it would be a very convenient moment for the UN to provide at least a break in the military conflict.

It is strange that they did not use it, because the security department never provided its arguments, ”said Boris Mezhuev, an associate professor at Moscow State University, in a comment to RT.

He noted that the structures of even such an organization as the UN are subject to outside influence, although they must evaluate events objectively.

And the United States has a powerful influence, the analyst added.

“After all, we show that Ukraine's actions are of a terrorist nature, thereby mobilizing world public opinion against Ukraine.

However, individual UN representatives have a different attitude towards the situation, and they do not want to be suspected of sympathy for the Russian Federation," Mezhuev said.

Political scientist Andrei Suzdaltsev drew attention to the fact that the actions of the Ukrainian military are not subject to any criticism from the United States and Europe, despite the fact that a direct threat to the nuclear security of the region is created.

“This demonstrates the fact that Western politicians are in no way worried about the fate of their fellow citizens.

They are fighting only for power, and the events in Ukraine serve as a justification for their political decisions.

In this connection, European politicians are interested in continuing the conflict.

If the shelling of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will lead to the second Chernobyl, then the blame for this will still be put on Russia.

Because the recognition of the crimes of Kyiv will destroy Western politicians, ”the expert stated.