UN Secretary-General Visits Ukraine... Agreement Reached on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Inspection

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres, together with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, directly visited Ukraine and agreed to conduct an inspection of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, where safety concerns have recently escalated. However, since Russia, which currently occupies the Zaporizhzhia plant, is shifting all issues onto Ukraine, it is expected that more time will be needed before the actual inspection can take place.

According to the Associated Press on the 18th (local time), Secretary-General Guterres and President Erdo?an visited Lviv in western Ukraine and held a trilateral meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky. This is the second time Guterres has visited Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February, and it is Erdo?an's first visit. The meeting was arranged at the invitation of President Zelensky.

During the trilateral meeting, they discussed measures to promptly advance an inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, where recent safety concerns such as radioactive leakage have arisen. It is reported that the UN, Ukraine, and Turkey agreed to dispatch an inspection team. Secretary-General Guterres emphasized, "An urgent agreement is needed to restore the nuclear plant area as purely civilian infrastructure and ensure safety."

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, currently occupied by Russian forces, is the largest nuclear facility in Europe. Recently, as clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces have continued around the site, concerns about radioactive leakage have increased. In particular, the IAEA is urging a prompt on-site inspection to check the safety of the Zaporizhzhia plant and implement security measures to prevent a potential large-scale release of radioactive materials.

However, Russia, which occupies the plant, has reportedly not yet agreed to the IAEA inspection. According to CNN, Russia claims that the safety issues at the Zaporizhzhia plant are due to Ukrainian military bombings and has indicated that if the bombings continue, it may shut down the plant entirely.

The trilateral meeting also discussed the peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, which have been suspended since May. Regarding the resumption of peace talks, President Zelensky stated, "First, Russia must leave our territory, and then we will see the situation." This reiterates the existing position that the withdrawal of Russian troops must precede negotiations.

Meanwhile, Turkey expressed its intention to continue mediating between Ukraine and Russia and to support Ukraine's reconstruction efforts. In response to questions from the press about the Zaporizhzhia plant and related issues, President Erdo?an said, "We are concerned. We do not want another Chernobyl incident," and emphasized, "We also discussed prisoner exchanges today and will continue to talk with President Putin about this."