The EU delegation representing the Union in the UN institutions in Vienna on Wednesday left a special meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in protest. Members of the delegation resigned in response to Russia’s “unacceptable comments”.
“We strongly condemn Russian military aggression in Ukraine and the resulting nuclear threat when it comes to facilities in Ukraine,” delegation members wrote on Twitter.
In a statement to the IAEA, the EU also said that there are “serious concerns about the attacks on the nuclear facilities of Russian forces in the Chernobyl Exclusive Zone and on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant”. The European Union therefore wants to do everything it can to avoid a nuclear incident, accident or other radiological emergency, the statement said. “Now is the time to act to prevent such a scenario.”
The EU again calls on Russia to “immediately end military aggression against Ukraine and respect its sovereignty and independence”.