After repeated shelling of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, the Russian occupiers propose a ceasefire in the contested area.
“The leadership of the United Nations and the EU’s chief diplomat should not be talking regarding demilitarization but regarding introducing a ceasefire,” Vladimir Rogov, a representative of the Russian occupation authorities, told Russia’s state news agency Ria Novosti on Monday.
For days, Russia has been blaming the Ukrainian side for the attacks on the nuclear power plant in the city of Enerhodar, which in turn has blamed the Russians. UN Secretary-General António Guterres last week warned of a nuclear catastrophe and called for the area to be demilitarized.
On Sunday, 42 states and the EU demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Russian occupying forces from the area around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. “The stationing of Russian military personnel and weapons at the nuclear facility is unacceptable,” the statement said.
Russia is violating the safety principles to which all member countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have committed. The US, UK, Norway, Australia and Japan also signed the notice.