Every State Party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is still very concerned about the Russian Federation’s continued aggression against Ukraine (NPT).
We, the following countries and territories: Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chad, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau
We once again express our utmost disapproval of the Russian Federation’s continuing campaign of aggression against Ukraine, which is both unjustified and unprovoked. This is a flagrant violation of international law, as well as the UN Charter.
In order to pursue nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, we reaffirm our commitment to the NPT as the cornerstone of the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation framework.
We condemn the Russian Federation’s perilous nuclear language, actions, and aggressive claims that it would raise its nuclear alert levels, which are at odds with the recent Joint Statement of the P5 Leaders on Averting Nuclear War and Arms Races.
We are very concerned that the unlawful war of aggression being waged against Ukraine by the Russian Federation, a nuclear-weapon state, is threatening global peace, security, and stability as well as the NPT’s integrity and goals. We denounce the Russian Federation’s actions, which are a flagrant violation of its international commitments and obligations as well as a betrayal of the security guarantees it gave to Ukraine as a Non-Nuclear Weapon State in accordance with Ukraine’s accession to the NPT in the Budapest Memorandum of 1994.
We denounce the Russian Federation’s heinous acts, which have deprived Ukraine of authority over its nuclear facilities and prevented it from exercising its fundamental right to advance nuclear energy research, production, and usage for peaceful reasons.
We continue to be extremely concerned about the grave threat that the seizure of Ukrainian nuclear facilities and other actions by Russian armed forces pose to their safety and security, significantly increasing the risk of a nuclear accident or incident and endangering the people of Ukraine, its neighbors, and the global community. These measures also jeopardize the IAEA’s capacity to carry out its crucial safeguards duty in Ukraine and to keep confirming that Ukraine’s nuclear operations are peaceful.
We acknowledge and applaud the heroic efforts of the Ukrainian staff at Ukrainian nuclear facilities, especially at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and Chornobyl, who continue to work tirelessly to ensure nuclear safety in Ukraine despite working under a great deal of stress in the context of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine.
We denounce the Russian Federation’s representatives’ meddling in the ZNPP’s operations and their attempts to increase their influence over the facility. We urge that in order to guarantee the safe and secure functioning of ZNPP and all nuclear facilities located inside Ukraine’s internationally recognized boundaries, Russia immediately remove its military troops from Ukraine. For many years, Ukraine ran these facilities in a secure, peaceful, and safe manner. At the ZNPP, Ukrainian operators and regulatory inspectors must have complete access and be able to do their tasks without fear of harassment or other forms of coercion.
We applaud and support the Ukrainian government’s and IAEA’s efforts to increase Ukraine’s nuclear safety and security, and we appreciate the IAEA for its unwavering dedication to this cause. We stress the need of supporting an IAEA expert visit to the ZNPP in order to address nuclear safety, security, and safeguards issues while fully respecting Ukrainian sovereignty over its facilities and territory. We wholeheartedly agree with the Director General of the IAEA’s “Seven Indispensable Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security,” which are based on IAEA nuclear security guidelines and safety standards. We urge all NPT parties to assist the IAEA in its efforts.
We reaffirm our demand that the Russian Federation halt its cruel and calculated campaign of aggression and remove all of its military soldiers and equipment from Ukraine’s territory within its internationally recognized boundaries immediately.
Additionally, we denounce Belarus for aiding and abetting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. 14.We reiterate our unflinching commitment to supporting the Ukrainian government and people as they valiantly defend their nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and struggle for a peaceful and prosperous future. We stay resolute in our solidarity with Ukraine.