The State Department tonight described as “unacceptable” any attempt by Russia to appropriate Ukraine’s nuclear power, where earlier today the Russian-held Zaporizhia nuclear power plant was disconnected from the national grid.
“The electricity it generates is de facto owned by Ukraine and any attempt to disconnect the station from the Ukrainian grid to redirect (the power) to the occupied territories is unacceptable,” Vedant Patel, a US State Department spokesman, told reporters. .
“No country should turn a nuclear power plant into a battlefield, and we oppose any attempt by Russia to appropriate the plant’s energy or use it as a weapon,” he added.
The US has so far observed no unusual levels of radioactivity in Zaporizhia, Patel added, hailing the “courage and selflessness” of Ukrainians still working at the nuclear plant.
Earlier today, US President Joe Biden reiterated that the Russians should withdraw from the station and that International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors be allowed access.
Bonnie Jenkins, undersecretary of state for arms control, said Moscow is responsible for the station’s security. “(The Russians’) actions at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant create the risk of a serious nuclear accident, which could affect not only Ukrainians and their environment, but also neighboring countries and the entire international community,” he stressed. That risk “could be eliminated” if Russia hands over control of the station to Ukraine and fully withdraws from that country, he added.
Source: RES-MPE
Source: Capital
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