G7 Calls on Russia to Return Control of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant to Ukraine

The Group of Seven (G7) countries (United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Canada, France, Japan, and the USA) have called on Russia to return full control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to Ukraine and to withdraw Russian troops from the facility's premises. The corresponding statement was published on the organization's website, as reported by RTVI.

“We urge Russia to immediately return full control of the Zaporizhzhia NPP to its legitimate sovereign owner, Ukraine, withdraw all Russian personnel from the facility, and cease any reckless and dangerous attempts to place the ZNPP under Russian control, which could further jeopardize its safe and reliable operation,” the statement reads.

The organization also condemned “the periodic abductions of the Ukrainian nuclear plant's management and personnel by Russia and the application of other forms of pressure on the Ukrainian staff.”

“These actions further exacerbate the nuclear safety at the ZNPP, preventing essential personnel from performing their irreplaceable functions. We categorically reject these reckless, brutal, and dangerous actions and demand the immediate release of the detainees,” the statement continued.

The organization also declared that it will never recognize “any attempts by Russia to illegally annex Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions and strongly condemns Russia's control over nuclear facilities within Ukraine's internationally recognized borders.”

“Any such attempts at annexation are null and void. We reaffirm Ukraine's full sovereignty over its entire territory, including this nuclear facility. The ZNPP and the electricity it produces belong to Ukraine, and we emphasize that Russia's attempts to disconnect the plant from the Ukrainian energy grid will be unacceptable. We strongly emphasize that the ZNPP should not be used for military operations or material resource maintenance,” the statement concluded.