International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi intends to submit an agreement with Russia and Ukraine to the UN Security Council later this month to ensure the safety of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, four diplomats told Portal.
Rafael Grossi has been trying to find a solution that makes it possible for more than a year reduce the risk of a nuclear catastrophe in central Zaporizhia, occupied by the Russian army but separated from Ukrainian troops only by the Dnieper River.
While Ukraine is preparing for a counter-offensive that could take place in this sector in particular, experts fear it the safety of the six reactors of the largest power plant in Europe, now at a standstill, is threatened again. Russia and Ukraine blame each other for bombings that repeatedly cut the power lines that feed the power plant and cool the reactors.
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“It looks promising,” a diplomat said of the chances of reaching an agreement on the matter. Other diplomats were more cautious, pointing out that while Ukraine had finally joined Rafael Grossi’s initiative, Russia had not made its position clear.
The exact date on which The agreement will be presented to the Security Council It hasn’t been decided yet, but it should be this month, they said, adding that Rafael Grossi is in contact on the issue with Switzerland, which holds the presidency of the council for a month.
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The agreement details the “principles” of security to be respected by the belligerents, some of which have long been known, such as the fact that Don’t bomb the facility or from its perimeter or prohibit the presence of heavy weapons there. Over the months, however, the original goal of creating a “safe zone” around the power plant was pushed back in the face of objections from both sides.