Pakistan has abstained in the United Nations General Assembly regarding Russia urgently withdraw its military and other unauthorized personnel from Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and return full control of the plant to Ukrainian authorities. The resolution received 99 votes in favor, 9 votes against, and 60 abstentions. The 9 countries that voted against the resolution were Russia, Belarus, Burundi, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, and Syria. Pakistan has maintained a neutral position on the broader Russia-Ukraine war. While Pakistan has called for respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and sent humanitarian aid to the country, it has refused to condemn Russia’s actions. Reflecting this neutral stance, Pakistan has abstained from voting on three separate UN General Assembly resolutions denouncing the “Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

“We owe this to future generations. We must ensure that the horrors of nuclear disasters are not repeated,” Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya urged. The UNGA resolution not only demanded that Russia withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, but also called for an immediate end to attacks against Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure. This comes amid weeks of escalation of attacks on Ukraine’s power grid and other energy facilities. Deputy Russian U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told the General Assembly before the vote that the aim of the resolution was “to try to promote the false Western narrative about the source of threats to nuclear facilities in Ukraine.”

The UNGA resolution calls for the immediate cessation of attacks by Russia against Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure. These attacks increase the risk of a nuclear accident or incident at all of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities. The resolution again demands that Russia immediately cease its aggression against Ukraine and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the country. The Zaporizhzhia plant, which is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, was captured by Russia shortly after it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While the plant is currently shut down, it still requires external power to keep its nuclear materials cool and prevent a potential meltdown. The 193-member United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)