The 70th IAEA General Conference, held on September 17, discussed a resolution on the situation of nuclear energy in Ukraine prepared by Canada and Ukraine. The resolution calls on Russia to return the Zaporizhiya Nuclear Plant back to Ukrainian control and to “immediately cease all actions against and at all nuclear facilities in Ukraine.” The absurdity of the statement is obvious to all, given the clear attempts by Russia to maintain the Zaporoshiye facility as a functioning entity when it came under their control in the course of fighting, as well as the outrageous attempts by the Ukrainians themselves to bomb the facility, and to assassinate those running the plant.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, who has visited all of the regional nuclear sites, including Zaporizhiya, which has been continually targeted by the Ukrainians, has consistently refused to raise any accusations against Ukraine for its blatant attacks on nuclear plants. This places him more in the role of an apologist for the continued Ukrainian aggression targeting the nuclear plants rather than a neutral party interested in avoiding a nuclear catastrophe.

The Russian reaction to the resolution has been immediate. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement indicating that the resolution “is legally and politically null and void for us and will have no international legal consequences. None of its provisions will be implemented.”