Lhe war in Ukraine continues and the nuclear risk still hovers. A “disaster” at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine would threaten the whole of Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Monday. “From the shelter of the station, the occupiers are bombarding surrounding towns and communities,” Volodymyr Zelensky charged in his Monday evening address.
“Any radioactive incident at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant can strike a blow to European Union countries, Turkey, Georgia, and countries in more distant regions. It all depends on the direction and strength of the wind,” the Ukrainian president continued. French President Emmanuel Macron will speak by telephone late Tuesday morning with his Ukrainian counterpart about the situation at the nuclear power plant. The two leaders will meet “in particular to address the situation around the Zaporijia power plant”, announced the French presidency.
New sanctions desired
“If Russia’s actions lead to a catastrophe, the consequences could hit those who remain silent for now,” he warned. He called on the international community to adopt “tough new sanctions against Russia” and not to “give in to nuclear blackmail”. “All Russian forces must immediately withdraw from the station and surrounding areas without any conditions,” he said.
READ ALSOBruno Tertrais – Which nuclear world after the war in Ukraine?
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, was taken in early March by Russian troops, at the start of their invasion of Ukraine launched on February 24. Since the end of July, several strikes, of which the two parties accuse each other, have targeted the site, raising fears of a nuclear disaster and provoking a meeting of the UN Security Council last week.