Mr. Chairman,

The European Union denounces the cynical and appalling statements by Russian officials which entail unfounded accusations against Ukraine. These false and horrid allegations are part of the Russian strategy of disinformation and information manipulation, a strategy we strongly condemn.

We find it particularly disturbing that the Russian Federation, as part of the propaganda that paved the way for its aggression, continues to repeat horrible and unfounded accusations and wrongly claim that Ukraine is about to acquire nuclear weapons. We recall that Ukraine is in full compliance with its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and urge Russian officials to immediately stop their false allegations.

The Russian Federation is grossly violating international law, including the UN Charter and international humanitarian law, and the IAEA Statute, as well as blatantly disrespecting its security assurances to Ukraine under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.

In this context, we refer to the Note Verbales originating from the Permanent Representation of the Russian Federation in Vienna, which contain unsubstantiated information.

Mr. Chairman,

The EU is extremely concerned about Russia’s aggressive and intolerable actions, which also impact nuclear sites in Ukraine. Russian forces must immediately retreat from the Ukrainian territory, including from all nuclear installations, and ensure that the Ukrainian regulator and operators re-assume full control without any external influence, including personnel rotation and secure working conditions.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.