Statement by Denmark on the safety, security and safeguards implications of the situation in Ukraine
Vienna, 16 - 18 November 2022
1. Denmark aligns itself with the EU statement delivered earlier. We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine, and we underline our continued unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.
2. We are gravely concerned by the finding in the Director General’s recent report that the situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is increasingly dangerous, precarious and challenging. The enormous pressure under which the Ukrainian staff at the ZNPP are working is a matter of serious concern. We underline that this situation is a result of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. Indeed, the war has caused the wide range of challenges to the Director General’s Seven Pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during armed conflict as reflected in the report.
3. We reiterate, therefore, that the Russian invasion must be reversed. Specifically, we urge Russia to immediately withdraw its military and other personnel from the Zaporizhzhya Plant. More broadly, we reiterate the urgent call on Russia to cease all unlawful activities in order to ensure the control by the Ukrainian authorities over all nuclear facilities and materials within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders. We do not recognise the Russian attempts to claim ownership of the Nuclear Power Plant or its attempted annexation of this and other regions of Ukraine. In this regard, we welcome the adoption of the UNGA Resolution on the “Territorial integrity of Ukraine: defending the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”, which was supported by an overwhelming majority of UN Member States.
4. Meanwhile we are grateful to the DG and the Agency’s staff for all their efforts to improve nuclear safety and security in Ukraine and to support the Ukrainian authorities in that regard. We support the Agency’s wide-ranging work and recall the recommendations made in the September Report. We especially commend those IAEA staff members who carry out their work in particularly difficult conditions, such as the members of the Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya.
5. We also welcome the Agency’s determined efforts to carry out safeguards work in accordance with the annual implementation plan for Ukraine for 2022 as established by the Agency, despite the challenging circumstances created by Russia’s military aggression. We thank the IAEA for responding so quickly to Ukraine’s invitation to perform complementary accesses following Russian allegations related to “dirty bombs”. We welcome the fact that there are no indications that these allegations have any real basis.
6. Given the gravity of the situation created by Russia, and in order to support the IAEA going forward, we fully support the draft resolution before the Board. We trust that the Director General will continue to report to the Board as required.