Ukraine’s president on Friday said the country is poised to increase energy exports to Europe, emphasizing the importance of keeping Zaporijia’s power plant safe and connected to the grid.
Volodymyr Zelensky participated via videoconference in the Ambrosetti Forum, one of the most important meetings of the world economy taking place in Cernobbio (Northern Italy).
Zelensky made these statements hours after he criticized the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, for not calling for the demilitarization of the Zaporijia nuclear power plant, which is located in southeastern Ukraine. and is currently under control of Russian forces after he led a mission of 14 experts who visited the complex on Thursday.
“Protecting the nuclear power plant is a safeguard against a nuclear disaster. We cannot afford nuclear risks,” he added.
The Ukrainian president recalled that “Zaporijia was attacked several times in the first nights of March, when it was occupied by the Russians”.
“We were one step away from a catastrophe, and it was only thanks to the Ukrainian engineers that the accident was avoided. Without them it would have been a worse accident than Chernobyl,” he said.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, has been controlling the Zaporijia power plant, the largest in Europe, since March 4.
Ukrainian and Russian troops accuse each other of attacks that could lead to a nuclear disaster.
The worst nuclear accident ever occurred on Ukrainian soil in 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, when Ukraine was part of the former Soviet Union.
“We can help stabilize the energy consumption of neighboring and European countries and this can reduce Russian pressure on Europe. Even now, despite the difficulties, we can export energy equivalent to 8% of Italy’s needs,” the head of state continued. address the Ambrosetti Forum.
Also in the same speech, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine can become a “green energy center” for Europe and “replace Russia’s dirty energy”.
“We have great potential to develop renewable energy and green hydrogen,” he said.
The official also reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment “to prevent a world food crisis, which could prevent another migration crisis from Asia and Africa to Europe and in particular to the Mediterranean coasts of Italy”.
“We will do everything we can to ensure that this does not happen. Ukrainian food has already been successfully delivered to 20 countries, including Ethiopia and Yemen, where the situation is particularly serious. Our commitment to ensure food security remains strong. We are ready to help contain a new price chaos in Europe,” he concluded.
Source: DN
