47 states and EU demand Russia return Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to Ukraine at UN General Assembly
During the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, 47 states together with the European Union issued a joint statement calling for the immediate return of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to Ukrainian control and the withdrawal of Russian forces from the site.
Key points
- 47 states and the EU issued a joint statement at the UN General Assembly demanding the immediate return of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to Ukrainian control.
- The statement was delivered during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
- The coalition also called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces present at the plant.
- The Zaporizhzhia plant is Europe's largest nuclear power plant.
- The demand frames the issue around nuclear safety, non-proliferation and Ukrainian sovereignty.
Why it matters
The statement marks a coordinated international diplomatic push at the UN level, demanding that Russia relinquish control of Europe's largest nuclear power plant. It reflects continued concern about nuclear safety and non-proliferation amid the Russia–Ukraine war, and signals the breadth of international alignment on Ukrainian sovereignty over the facility.
What happened
During the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, 47 states together with the European Union issued a joint statement calling for the immediate return of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to Ukrainian control. The same statement called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from the site, linking the handover of the plant to the departure of those forces. The action was framed as a unified international demand directed at Russia.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Both supplied Ukrainian sources, Interfax-Ukraine and Suspilne Novyny, present the statement as a unified international demand directed at Russia to return the plant to Ukraine, emphasizing the breadth of the global coalition behind the call.
Background
The statement was delivered during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The call links the return of the plant to Ukrainian control with the withdrawal of Russian forces present at the site.