PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s war of aggression remains a major concern for every State Party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

Delivered by Ambassador Yann Hwang, Permanent Representative of France to the Conference for Disarmament

1. The ongoing war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine remains a major concern for every State Party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear  Weapons (NPT).
2. We, Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria,  Canada, Chad, Cyprus, Croatia, the 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, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino,  Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the  United States of American, Ukraine and the European Union reaffirm our unwavering  support to the legitimate and sovereign Ukrainian authorities, as well as to Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognized borders.
3. We reiterate our strongest condemnation of the ongoing unprovoked and unjustifiable  war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. This constitutes a gross  violation of international law, including the United Nations Charter.
4. We reaffirm our commitment to the NPT as the cornerstone of the nuclear disarmament  and non-proliferation regime and an essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear  disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
5. We deplore the Russian Federation’s dangerous nuclear rhetoric, actions and  provocative statements about raising its nuclear alert levels, which are inconsistent with  the recent P5 Leaders Joint Statement on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms  Races.
6. We are deeply concerned that the Russian Federation, a Nuclear-Weapon State, is  undermining international peace, security and stability, the international non-proliferation architecture and the integrity and objectives of the NPT by waging its illegal  war of aggression against Ukraine. We condemn the Russian Federation’s actions,  which are in complete disregard of its international obligations and commitments and a  betrayal of the security assurances that the Russian Federation provided to Ukraine  under the Budapest Memorandum of 1994 in connection with Ukraine’s accession to  the NPT, as a Non-Nuclear Weapon State.
7. We condemn the abhorrent actions of the Russian Federation, which have had the effect  of depriving Ukraine of control over Ukrainian nuclear facilities and disrupting its  exercise of its inalienable right to develop research, production and use of nuclear  energy for peaceful purposes.
8. We remain profoundly concerned by the serious threat that the seizure of Ukrainian  nuclear facilities and other actions by Russian armed forces pose to the safety and  security of these facilities, significantly raising the risk of a nuclear accident or incident  and endangering the population of Ukraine, neighbouring states and the international  community. These actions also undermine the IAEA’s ability to implement its important  safeguards mission in Ukraine and to continue to verify the peaceful nature of Ukraine’s  nuclear activities.
9. We recognize and praise the heroic efforts of the Ukrainian staff at Ukrainian nuclear  facilities, particularly at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and Chornobyl, who  continue to work tirelessly to ensure nuclear safety in Ukraine, despite working under  immense pressure in the context of the Russian Federation’s aggression against  Ukraine.
10. We condemn the interference of the representatives of the Russian Federation in the  ZNPP’s operations and efforts to extend the Russian Federation’s control over the plant.  We demand that Russia immediately withdraw its armed forces from Ukraine and hand  back full control of ZNPP as well as of all nuclear facilities within Ukraine’s internationally  recognized borders to the proper Ukrainian authorities in order to ensure their safe and secure operations. Ukraine operated these facilities safely, securely, and peacefully for  decades. Ukrainian operators and regulatory inspectors at ZNPP must have full access  and must be able to carry out their duties without intimidation, threats or pressure.
11. We welcome and support the Government of Ukraine’s and the IAEA’s efforts to  strengthen nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, and we thank the IAEA for its  steadfast commitment in this regard. We underline the importance of facilitating a  mission of IAEA experts to ZNPP to address nuclear safety, security and safeguards  concerns, in a manner that respects full Ukrainian sovereignty over its territory and  infrastructure. We strongly endorse the importance of the IAEA Director General’s  “Seven Indispensable Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security” derived from the IAEA’s  nuclear safety standards and nuclear security guidance. We encourage all NPT States  parties to support the IAEA’s efforts.
12. We reiterate our call on the Russian Federation to end its brutal and premeditated war of aggression, and to withdraw immediately, completely, and unconditionally its armed forces and equipment from the territory of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized  borders.
13. We also condemn Belarus for its complicity in the Russian aggression against Ukraine. 14.We remain steadfast in our solidarity with Ukraine and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to supporting the government and people of Ukraine in their courageous defense of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in their fight for a peaceful and prosperous future.