EU Statement at the IAEA Board of Governors on Ukraine, 20 November 2025
Chair,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU. The following countries align themselves with this statement: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Moldova, San Marino, and Ukraine.
We thank Director General Grossi for his report. The EU acknowledges the indispensable role of the IAEA’s monitoring and assistance missions in Ukraine. We commend the continued dedication and courage of the Agency’s experts in support of nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine under the difficult conditions arising from Russia’s war of aggression. This allows us to receive first-hand impartial and factual reporting.
Chair,
The EU condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s renewed and deliberate large-scale missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including attacks on energy workers seeking to repair the damage caused. Russia’s reckless attacks have recently damaged several key substations, forcing two of Ukraine’s operating nuclear power plants to take emergency measures. As clearly stated in the IAEA’s indispensable pillars for nuclear safety and security, there must be secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear sites, especially for the cooling of reactors in operation and of spent fuel.
These attacks, which are conscious acts of aggression carried out with full awareness of their implications, violate this Board’s resolution adopted on 12 December 2024. Russia is holding nuclear safety hostage. Repeated damage to power lines and substations continue to increase the risk of a possible nuclear accident at Ukraine’s nuclear facilities with potentially severe consequences for Ukraine and beyond. Russia must cease these attacks immediately. It is important that the upcoming 10th Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety in April 2026 addresses all these serious nuclear safety issues and how to improve them.
Meanwhile, we encourage the Agency to continue its monitoring missions, including the review of the state of substations critical for nuclear safety of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants.
Chair,
We are grateful for DG Grossi’s and the Agency’s mediation efforts to ensure a temporary local ceasefire which allowed the repair of two power lines, the 750 kV Dniprovska line, and more recently the 330 kV Ferosplavna-1 line which are vital to ensure nuclear safety in the ZNPP. The reliance solely on diesel generators can never be a long-term measure. While we welcomed that the ZNPP has regained access to two power lines, regretfully, following Russian shelling last Friday the Dniprovska line was again damaged. The ZNPP relied on a single power line until it got repaired by Ukrainian energy workers yesterday. This once again demonstrates that all these efforts and risks undertaken by brave technicians will be in vain as long as Russia persists in targeting critical substations and infrastructure supplying energy to the ZNPP.
Due to Russia’s actions, the situation at the seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remains extremely precarious. Six of the seven pillars continue to be compromised fully or partially, and the five concrete principles have been undermined. Under such circumstances, all six of the ZNPP reactors must remain in cold shutdown.
Chair,
The EU calls for a full and unconditional ceasefire, which Ukraine has repeatedly agreed to. The EU reiterates its unwavering support for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine, in full compliance with the principles of the UN Charter and international law, and fully respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Change of borders by force is unacceptable. Russia must immediately and unconditionally withdraw all military forces, equipment, and other unauthorised personnel from Ukraine’s nuclear facilities and the entire territory of Ukraine and hand over control of the ZNPP to its rightful owner - Ukraine.
We call on all Member States to urge Russia to comply with all UN General Assembly, IAEA General Conference and Board of Governors’ resolutions on Ukraine. All States must uphold their obligations under international law and the IAEA Statute. Russia must be held accountable for its war crimes.
The EU will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes, especially during these cold winter months when Russia deliberately deprives civilians of heat and electricity. We will also continue supporting the Agency’s efforts to uphold nuclear safety, security and safeguards in full respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including over the ZNPP, as set out in UN General Assembly resolutions.
Thank you, Chair.