It is absolutely clear to IAEA that ZNPP belongs to Ukraine - Grossi
For the IAEA, it is quite clear that Zaporizhzhya NPP is a Ukrainian facility, but to ensure the operation of the plant, the agency is forced to cooperate with the Russians who occupied the nuclear power plant.
This was stated by Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrinform.
"The IAEA has a very specific role to play here because it is the only international organization that is deployed and permanently operating in occupied territory - Ukrainian territory that has been occupied - in particular, in an infrastructure facility that belongs to Ukraine but is under Russian control. This is not pleasant to hear or say, but this is the reality," Grossi responded to accusations that the IAEA's position on Russia's occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP was not decisive enough.
According to him, this means that "in order for us to protect this facility, to work effectively there, we need to focus on the technical work that we have to do there."
"And it's a very delicate balance, because it's quite obvious that I interact with the Ukrainian government - and there's no problem with the President, the Foreign Minister, the Energy Minister, the nuclear regulator and the whole community in Ukraine - but I also have to interact with the Russian management and even their government, because they are in control of the situation. The discussion here is not about whether this is good or bad. For the IAEA, it is absolutely clear that this is a Ukrainian facility," the agency director emphasized.
He added that if he "started to interfere in the sphere of political statements," it would not make his work easier.
"It would have made it more difficult, if not impossible," he said.
Therefore, according to him, "the situation for the IAEA is unique, because we need to have a functional working relationship with Russia" as an occupying power.
"To make it even clearer. Ukrainians like everything to be very clear. If I come and say to someone: "You have to go away, you are a thief, you are this or that," then the next day it will be very difficult for me to work. I have to work on nuclear and physical security and other very technical things that we have to protect," explained Grossi.
He emphasized that his role is "to avoid a nuclear accident", and for this "the Agency's position must be very balanced".
"What we do is look at these solutions from a technical point of view. Is it safe? Is it dangerous? And so on. So we don't repeat every time: "This is not yours". It is accepted as a fact. From the moment I say that this is a Ukrainian nuclear facility, it is clear who owns this facility. And then we just look at the technical factors and technical decisions that are made," he said.
As a reminder, Zaporizhzhia NPP has been under Russian occupation since March 4, 2022.
