Zelensky alleges Russian plot on Ukraine nuclear plants in defiant UN address
He also singled out China and Brazil as he questioned the ‘true interest’ of countries that have been pressing Kyiv to negotiate with Moscow
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia on Wednesday of plotting potentially catastrophic attacks on his country’s nuclear plants, in a defiant UN address ahead of US elections that could sharply shift the stance of Kyiv’s main backer.
Zelensky addressed the annual gathering of world leaders to rally support before a high-profile visit on Thursday to the White House, where US President Joe Biden’s administration promised new military aid.
Speaking from the UN rostrum in a black polo jacket, Zelensky said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “does seem to be planning attacks on our nuclear power plants and the infrastructure, aiming to disconnect the plants from the power grid”.
“Any critical incident in the energy system could lead to a nuclear disaster. A day like that must never come,” Zelensky said.
“Moscow needs to understand this, and this depends in part on your determination to put pressure on the aggressor,” he told the General Assembly.
Shortly after his remarks, Putin made his most explicit threat yet to use nuclear weapons, saying Russia would consider such a response to a “massive” air attack on its soil. Ukraine has been pushing the United States and its allies to ease restrictions on weapons that can strike deeper into Russia.