MFA: IAEA violated Ukraine’s sovereignty due to blackmail from Russia

MFA: IAEA violated Ukraine’s sovereignty due to blackmail from Russia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by several IAEA staff members as a result of Russian blackmail. This is the first time the rotation of these staff members at the Zaporizhzhya NPP has occurred without Ukraine’s consent.

This is reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Ukraine has sent a protest note to the IAEA leadership, but holds Russia fully responsible for such actions, as it "creates artificial obstacles for the activities of international organizations in Ukraine, forcing them to violate Ukrainian law."

It is noted that Russia refused to provide safety guarantees to IAEA staff if they traveled through territory controlled by Ukraine, thereby "forcing the Agency to agree to Russian terms."

The rotation conducted by the IAEA is described by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a "humanitarian evacuation in conditions of threat to life and health of people."

"Ukraine has sent a protest note to the IAEA leadership condemning the violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state and warning against the recurrence of such actions in the future.

The Ukrainian side will also raise the issue of Russia’s unprecedented blackmail at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in the coming days."