If a “catastrophe” happens at a nuclear power plant in Zaporozhye, in the south Ukrainewhich has been under Russian control since March, all of Europe will be at risk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again warned on Monday.

“By covering the station, the occupying forces are shelling cities and towns in the region,” Zelensky complained in his speech yesterday.

“Any accident with radioactivity at the nuclear power plant in Zaporozhye will strike at the countries of the European Union, Turkey, Georgia and countries of more remote regions. Everything will depend on the direction and strength of the wind,” the head of the Ukrainian state continued.

“If Russia’s actions lead to disaster, the consequences could fall on those who are still silent,” Zelensky added.

He demanded that the international community adopt “tough new sanctions against Russia” and not “succumb to nuclear blackmail.” “All Russian forces must be immediately and unconditionally withdrawn from the station and its surrounding areas,” he added.

The nuclear plant in Zaporozhye, the largest in Europe, was seized in early March by the Russian military during the initial phase of the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

Since the end of July, several artillery attacks on the plant have been reported, blamed on each other by the opposing sides, raising fears that a nuclear catastrophe could be provoked. This issue was discussed last week in the UN Security Council.

The UN assures that it can organize a visit of IAEA inspectors to Zaporozhye, Russia sets conditions

The United Nations has the ability and means to guarantee security to arrange a visit by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to a nuclear power plant in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, a spokesman for the international agency said on Monday, but a Russian diplomat put conditions on her, emphasizing that cargo to the factory through Kyiv is too dangerous.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said yesterday that “the UN Secretariat has no authority to block or cancel any activity of the IAEA.”

This came in response to Russia’s accusation that the UN security agency prevented IAEA inspectors from visiting Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which was seized by the Russian military in March, in the first phase of the war since its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

According to Mr. Dujarric, “Being in close contact with the IAEA, the UN Secretariat believes that it has the logistical and security capabilities to be able to support any IAEA mission to the Zaporozhye NPP from Kyiv.”

But he insisted that the opposing sides, Russia and Ukraine, agree first.

Both countries have announced that they want a team of IAEA inspectors to visit the plant. Its head, Rafael Grossi, said he was ready to lead this mission and called on Russia and Ukraine to cooperate.

In Moscow, Russian news agencies reported, citing a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, that the mission should not pass through the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, as suggested by the UN.

“Imagine what it means for them to pass through Kyiv – that means they will go to the nuclear power plant, crossing the front line,” said Igor Vishnevetsky, deputy director of the Department for Control over Nuclear Proliferation and Technology of the Russian Foreign Ministry. correspondents, according to RIA Novosti.

“This is a huge risk, given that not all Ukrainian military officials share the same views,” he added.

Putin: The goal is to completely occupy the Donbass

Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, reiterated on Monday that his goal is for the Russian military to completely take over Donbass, nearly six months after Moscow ordered what Moscow calls a “special military operation” and the West and Kyiv – unprovoked war.

The occupant of the Kremlin assured the guests of the arms exhibition near Moscow that the Russian army was achieving the goals set in the so-called “people’s republics” of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

While Kyiv accuses Moscow of war crimes and a bloody occupation policy, Vladimir Putin once again stated that “the land of Donbass is being liberated step by step” from Ukrainian nationalists.

Mr. Putin recognized two Ukrainian regions, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as independent states in February despite international protests, and then went to war with Ukraine on February 24.

The exhibition featured various Russian weapons, in particular tanks and missiles. The Russian President praised the work of the Russian military industry, assuring that it equips his country’s army with “modern weapons that are used today for victory.”

Addressing guests from around 70 countries, according to the organizers of the exhibition, he also stressed that Russia has partners on several continents who show courage and do not bow to the United States.

For its part, the Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport assured that Western sanctions do not affect sales abroad. By the end of 2023, its head Alexander Mikheev assured, India will receive five S-400 air defense systems on the basis of a contract signed between New Delhi and Moscow.

However, the head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Dmitry Shugaev, admitted that there are certain problems “related to political events.”

Nordic countries propose to ban tourist visas for Russian citizens

The Scandinavian countries and Germany appeared to be divided Monday in Oslo over the possibility of limiting tourist visas to Russians in retaliation for the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, a punitive measure proposed by Helsinki but met with reservations in Berlin.

“It was not ordinary Russians who started the war, but at the same time we must understand that they support the war,” Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin summed up during a meeting of the heads of government of the Nordic countries and Germany.

“It is not right that Russian citizens can enter Europe, the Schengen zone, as tourists (…), while Russia is killing people in Ukraine,” he added during a joint press conference.

In early August, the Finnish Foreign Ministry presented a plan to restrict passport visas issued to Russians wishing to travel to the country for tourism purposes. Helsinki wants a similar decision to be made at the EU level. Ethonia supports this idea.

After the ban on flights from Russia to the EU, the number of Russian tourists to the Scandinavian country is increasing, as it borders on their homeland. From there they go to other European countries.

However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed doubts about the move.

“It was an important decision on our part to impose sanctions against those responsible for the war, against the oligarchs and those who benefit financially from the war of the Putin regime,” he stressed.

“We will continue to do this, but I think that this is not a war of the Russian people, this is Putin’s war,” he continued.

According to Mr. Soltz, the limitation of passport visas will also hit “all those who leave Russia because they do not agree with the Russian regime.”

“All the decisions we make should not make it difficult for them to seek freedom and leave the country to get away from the regime and dictatorship in Russia,” he added.

Sweden, through its prime minister, Magdalena Andersson, said it was taking no position on the issue at the moment — “both sides have arguments,” Ms Andersson explained — while Denmark called for continued European unity against Moscow. .

“One of our achievements during this war is our unity” and “we should discuss” the issue of reducing the travel of Russian tourists, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said.

“I understand why it is a bit strange for some Europeans, and probably Ukrainians in particular, that Russia attacked a European country, and at the same time we continue to receive tourists,” he explained.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gaard Stere, whose country is not an EU member, assured that Oslo would support any joint action that would be taken.

^{Sources: APE-MPE, REUTERS, AFP, DPA.}