While the past few days have seen no new statements from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a raft of very high-ranking Russian officials have reaffirmed their support for the establishment of a safety and security protective zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), while also making clear that the plant is, and will remain, part of Russia. None of these statements were reported in the Western media.
In a recent speech at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly Russian representative Natalia Karmazinskaya said the main threat to the security of ZNPP “is the ongoing shelling by the Ukrainian armed forces, which have been carrying out attacks on the plant since mid-July, creating a real threat to its safety and risks of a man-made accident with radiation emissions”.
She noted that Russia did everything in its power to effectively and safely carry out the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to ZNPP on 1 September, despite the provocations by Ukrainian forces. “As a result of his visit to the plant, the Director General of the Agency came up with an initiative to create an operational and nuclear security protection zone around the plant. Its main goal is to prevent threats to the station arising from the ongoing attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” she said. “In principle, we support this initiative,” she added, “but it is necessary to agree on the parameters of this zone so that this does not lead to a decrease in the degree of its security and an increase in the threat of terrorist acts.”
The previous day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, replying to a question by Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency about a possible ZNPP security zone noted: “To begin with, I must say that there are no direct talks between Russia and Ukraine regarding a security zone around the NPP. We are discussing potential parameters of a declaration on creating a zone to ensure the NPP’s nuclear and physical protection with the IAEA Secretariat, which, in turn, is trying to interact with Ukraine. It is premature to say that the sides are close to reaching agreement.”
She added: “The main question is whether Kiev is ready to make a commitment to stop shelling and attempts to capture the NPP and if the IAEA is able to guarantee Kiev’s compliance with such hypothetical agreements. Taking the NPP out of Russia’s control or transferring control over it to a third party are out of the question. The NPP is located on Russian territory and Russia fully controls it. We believe only Russia can ensure the NPP’s physical and nuclear safety.
We know that Rafael Grossi wants to visit Russia again and we are ready to receive him to discuss a broad range of issues related to the IAEA activities. However, there are no specific agreements on the dates of his visit yet.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the annual scientific discussion forum, Primakov Readings, gave a similar message. He said Russia had offered the IAEA a solution to the problem of creating a security zone with specific parameters and that the initiative now rested with the IAEA. Earlier Russia’s Federation Council (upper house of parlriament) reported that they were preparing proposals for organising safety at ZNPP based on interdepartmental consultations and reports of invited experts.
Ryabkov noted: "For us, the main problem that has not yet been clarified is that there is no confidence in Kiev's readiness to approach this issue sensibly. We cannot create a zone that would increase the risks for ZNPP… By and large, they would like us to simply leave under the guise of resolving this issue in contact with the IAEA. Then, of course, the station will be immediately captured. We can't accept that – we can't agree to it."
He said the amount of work already done allows for some optimism, noting that Grossi is aware of the possibility of compromise. "But everything depends on the political will on the other side." He said the conclusion of an agreement on safety around the ZNPP may be achieved by the end of 2023. He stressed that Russia will strive to conclude an agreement and that the issues and ideas under consideration "allow us to move in this direction if we have a sound approach and the political will”. Russia’s proposals are now under consideration by the IAEA.
Ryabkov noted that the presence of IAEA personnel at ZNPP provides the agency with first-hand information about what is happening there. "For example, there are no aggressive actions on the part of Russia.” He rejected accusations that Moscow was responsible. “It is absurd that Russia wants to harm itself by being able to control a station that is an integral part of the territory of the Russian Federation." It is “perverted logic that Russia is firing at itself”, he said, adding: "Therefore, it is good that the agency's staff is there, and they really see what is happening." He concluded: "But it doesn't depend on us. We have no problems with the creation of a protective zone for the ZNPP. It depends on Kiev and its curators” who have repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to "put on the brakes".
In similar vein, the director general of Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, noted on 6 December that negotiations with the IAEA on creating security around the ZNPP were continuing. "Negotiations are underway, but the ball is not in our court he told reporters in Samarkand. Asked whether the Russian military would remain on the territory of plant if a security zone were created, he said: "We always need to protect the plant, especially in these times, and we have taken decisions to strengthen the protection of the plant, which is on Russian territory for obvious reasons." He added: “Since the combat zone is literally a few kilometres away ZNPP needs enhanced security, and in this sense, Russia's obligations are not to deploy offensive weapons or strike forces there but security, of course, must be comprehensive.”
Meanwhile, Reuters on 6 December reported statements by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu that Ukraine was continuing to shell ZNPP and that Russian forces were taking "all measures" to ensure the safety of the plant. Shoigu told his military chiefs in a conference call, an abridged transcript of which was published by the Defence Ministry, that Ukraine had fired 33 large-calibre shells at the plant in the last two weeks. Most had been intercepted by Russian air defences, he said, though "some still hit objects that affect the safe operation of the nuclear power plant".
Image: Natalia Karmazinskaya at UNGA
