G7 foreign ministers demand immediate control return of Zaporizhzhia NPP to Ukraine

Heads of Foreign Affairs of the Group of Seven (G7) issued a statement regarding the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

It was reported by the EP, referring to the statement of the G7 ministers published on the website of the German Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

As noted in this statement, the Group of Seven demands that russia immediately return control of the NPP to Ukraine.

"In that context, we demand that Russia immediately hand back full control to its rightful sovereign owner, Ukraine, of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant as well as of all nuclear facilities within Ukraine's internationally recognized borders to ensure their safe and secure operations," the statement said.

Ukrainian staff operating the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant must be able to carry out their duties without threats or pressure, the ministers added.

"It is russia's continued control of the plant that endangers the region," the statement emphasizes.

The ministers expressed their support for the efforts of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to strengthen nuclear security in Ukraine.

They emphasized the importance of assisting the IAEA expert mission at the Zaporizhzhia NPP to resolve nuclear safety issues in a manner that "respects full Ukrainian sovereignty over its territory and infrastructure."

"IAEA staff must be able to access all nuclear facilities in Ukraine safely and without impediment, and engage directly, and without interference, with the Ukrainian personnel responsible for the operation of these facilities," the statement said.

We will remind that on August 6, the European Union condemned russia's military activities in the area around the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

In a telephone conversation with the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the introduction of sanctions against the nuclear industry and nuclear fuel of the russian Federation against the background of the ZNPP shelling.

On August 9, the IAEA announced that the shelling of the ZNPP had damaged the station, but the radiation level was normal.

"Based on the information provided by Ukraine, IAEA experts assessed the absence of a direct threat to nuclear safety as a result of Saturday's incident," the General Director noted.

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