ISW: Putin may create new “Minsk agreements” using IAEA report on ZNPP

The demonstrative neutrality in the IAEA report on the situation at the temporarily occupied ZNPP may play into the hands of the russian invaders

Rubryka informs about this, referring to the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) report.

Analysts believe that russian president vladimir putin may use the report to launch a process similar to the Minsk agreements.

As a reminder, on September 6, the IAEA published a report on the situation at the ZNPP.

It happened after the experts completed their mission at the station.

The document described numerous actions by which the russian occupying power and the russian military have threatened the safety of the ZNPP.

However, the report does not attempt to determine who was responsible for the shelling of the station. IAEA experts have repeatedly called on "all relevant parties" to take measures to improve the situation.

At the same time, the report acknowledges that russia has stationed its military personnel and equipment in various locations on the station, limiting personnel access to a number of facilities.

Analysts believe the IAEA report is "an encrypted condemnation of russia's actions, which creates and consolidates the danger of a nuclear disaster in Ukraine."

However, the ISW emphasizes that the report's restraint and demonstrative neutrality "may overshadow the extremely obvious russian activity," undermining the safety of the nuclear power plant.

Thus, russian president vladimir putin may try to use the fears caused by the actions of the russian occupiers to force the IAEA and the international community to recognize russia's right to operate the ZANP.

And russia can portray this as a de facto recognition of russia's occupation of the Ukrainian south.

In a somewhat encrypted form, the IAEA recognizes Ukraine as the legal operator of the ZNPP and the party responsible for its safety and compliance with international law.

Therefore, the IAEA cannot directly involve russia in consultations regarding the station's operation.

At least tacitly not recognizing that russia has the right to such consultations, ISW notes.

According to analysts, putin may try to take advantage of the reluctance of the report to create a process similar to the Minsk agreements.

Within these agreements, russia was considered a neutral party and not a participant in the war:

"Tacitly accepting putin's assertion that Ukraine was in a civil war, not fighting russian aggression."

Reference

We will remind that on September 1, the mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived at the Zaporizhzhia NPP in occupied Enerhodar.

On September 5, four of the six participants of the IAEA mission completed their work and left the territory of the Zaporizhzhia NPP; two representatives of the organization remained at the station.

On September 6, the IAEA published a report on radiation safety in Ukraine, which shared data on the mission's visit to the ZNPP.