(Washington) The United States on Sunday denounced the “cynical obstruction” of Russia which “alone” prevented the adoption of a joint declaration at the UN on the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT ).
Posted at 12:18 p.m.
“After weeks of intense and productive negotiations, Russia decided alone to block a consensus on the final document” at the end of the four-week UN review conference of the NPT, the spokesperson said. US State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Vedant Patel.
And this with the sole objective “to block elements of language which only recognized the radiological risks at the nuclear power plant of Zaporijjia”, occupied by the Russian army in Ukraine, he said in a press release.
The Zaporizhia power plant, the largest in Europe, was taken by Russian troops in early March, shortly after the invasion began on February 24, and is near the front line in the south.
Kyiv and Moscow accuse each other of carrying out bombardments near the complex, and thus putting the plant in danger.
The operator of Ukrainian nuclear power plants Energoatom warned on Saturday that it was now operating with the risk of radioactive leaks and fire.
The 191 signatories to the NPT, which aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, promote complete disarmament and promote cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, have met at United Nations headquarters in New York since 1er august.
But Russia prevented the adoption of a joint declaration on Friday, denouncing in the draft final text “certain shamelessly political paragraphs”.
“Despite Russia’s cynical obstruction, the fact that all the other parties supported the final document demonstrates the essential role of the treaty in preventing nuclear proliferation”, however, welcomed the American official quoted above.
On Saturday, Austria, a neutral and non-nuclear country, had however denounced the attitude of Russia and the other great powers.
“Contrary to the disarmament commitments enshrined in the NPT, the five nuclear-armed states – the United States, France, China, the United Kingdom and Russia – are increasing or perfecting their arsenals,” the Austrian government wrote in a press release. , denouncing their lack of “perceptible will to implement previously unfulfilled contractual obligations”.