War in Ukraine threatening one of the world's biggest nuclear power programmes – IAEA chief
War in Ukraine is threatening one of the world's biggest nuclear power programs, and the situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is becoming more threatening every day, Director General of the International Nuclear Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi has said.
"War in Ukraine is threatening one of the world's biggest nuclear power programmes," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the opening session of the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
He spoke of the IAEA's seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security, which are being violated, particularly at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is under Russian occupation.
"While this war rages on, inaction is unconscionable. If an accident occurs at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, we will not have a natural disaster to blame. We will have only ourselves to answer to," he added, spelling out the need for an IAEA team of experts and safeguards inspectors to visit the plant.
At the same time, he said that the vital team of IAEA inspectors to the Zaporizhia NPP, which he has been seeking for two months, "did not become possible."
"We need everyone's support to make this happen. We are ready," Grossi said.
For his part, adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak, commenting on Grossi's speech on Twitter on Tuesday, said that the global security system does not work, calling for the creation of a new one.
"This global security system really doesn't work. Let's get a new one," he wrote.