Russia plans to attack 3 Ukrainian nuclear plants

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday (24) that his country has “evidence” that Russia is preparing to attack three Ukrainian nuclear plants.

“They are preparing to attack our nuclear plants, three of them. We have this information and we have proof. If Russia is ready to go that far, it means that nothing you (Council members) value matters to Moscow,” he warned.

The Ukrainian president criticized Russia’s “cynicism” and said that unity is essential to achieve peace and avoid creating a division into blocs of countries.

“Russia has no legitimate reason, none at all, to make Iran and North Korea de facto accomplices in its criminal war in Europe with its weapons, killing Ukrainians and helping (Russian dictator Vladimir) Putin steal our land from our people,” he said.

For his part, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the question now is how Council members can end Putin’s declared war and reinforce international norms and rights.

“First, we must address Russia’s growing cooperation with North Korea and Iran. Iran has been supplying armed drones to the Kremlin since 2022,” he stressed.

“Some wonder how the United States, or any other country that is helping Ukraine defend itself, can criticize countries for providing military support to Russia. There is a profound difference. Russia is the aggressor. Ukraine is the victim. Russia is fighting for conquest. Ukraine is fighting for survival,” Blinken added.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that although the conflict will be three years old next February and “the prospects for peace may seem distant”, he was “inspired by the growing calls for dialogue”.

Ukraine has been the main focus of previous weeks of UN High Level Meetings, but this year’s focus is on tensions in the Middle East.

However, Josep Borrell, the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and vice-president of the European Commission, told EFE on Tuesday that he believes that “the Ukraine issue is very important on the agenda, as is the issue of Gaza or Lebanon at the moment.”