kyiv and Moscow accuse each other at the UN of endangering Zaporizhia nuclear plant

Russia and Ukraine accused each other again of endangering the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant during a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday, while the body called for a halt to all military activity near the site.

“The Ukrainian armed forces continue practically every day to shell the territory of the nuclear power plant, creating a real risk of a radioactive accident with catastrophic consequences for the European continent as a whole,” said the Russian ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, who had called for this Council meeting.

The diplomat too called on Westerners to “stop whitewashing” Ukraine. “We have the impression that our colleagues live in a parallel reality in which the Russian army itself bombs the site it protects,” he said.

“No one can imagine that Ukraine would target a nuclear power plant creating a huge risk of catastrophe on its own territory,” Ukrainian ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya replied.

“Once again (Russia) has the audacity to convene a meeting of the Security Council to discuss its own provocations and its own terrorist actions,” added Kyslytsya, who said he “wasted an hour listening to a lot of imaginary statements.”

The two countries claim to be ready to allow access to a team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the site, but the mission could not be scheduled.

“It is really important that the mission is carried out in such a way that the international community can see reality and not a Russian piece of theater,” said Sergiy Kyslytsya, while his Russian counterpart also counts on the IAEA to “confirm the reality of the situation.” , he claimed.

For her part, the deputy general secretary for political affairs of the UNRosemary DiCarlo, insisted to the parties on the need to “stop all military activity around the center.

Taking up the words of the head of the UN, Antonio Guterres, who described any attack against the plant as “suicidal”DiCarlo appealed to “common sense”, worried about “almost daily reports of alarming incidents” about that plant.

At the request of Washington, Paris and London, another Security Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday morning, six months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.