Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko met with Senior Director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center John Herbst. The main topic of the meeting was the need to implement and comply with sanctions, in particular against the russian nuclear industry.

The head of the Ministry of Energy pointed out that the russian federation has intensified terror against the Ukrainian population, with almost daily attacks using various types of missiles and kamikaze drones. The russian terrorist regime retains the ability to produce these weapons, in particular by using energy sector companies to evade sanctions imposed by Ukraine’s international partners.

German Galushchenko reiterated that the russians had violated all seven key principles of nuclear safety by their actions in Ukraine. The occupation of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, the Zaporizhzhia NPP, the deployment of military personnel and military equipment on its territory, the terrorisation of personnel and the use of a nuclear facility to cover up war crimes pose a direct threat to nuclear and radiation safety across the continent.

The Minister stressed the need for the ZNPP to be de-occupied as soon as possible, for a demilitarised zone to be established around the facility and for full control of the plant to be transferred to the Ukrainian operator.

“The international community must respond firmly to the facts of nuclear terrorism perpetrated by russia. Some countries have already begun to refuse nuclear cooperation with the terrorist state, but a comprehensive programme to restrict cooperation should be developed, similar to the refusal of russian gas under the REPowerEU initiative. It is necessary to take decisions now to give a clear signal, especially to the business community, about the firmness of the relevant intentions,” the Minister said.

German Galushchenko added that Ukraine had started cooperation with the US company Westinghouse to produce nuclear fuel that could replace russian-made fuel for VVER-440 reactors.

“In this way we will destroy rosatom’s monopoly in Europe,” the Minister said.

The Head of the Ministry of Energy also stressed the need for strict control and monitoring of the effectiveness of sanctions mechanisms imposed on russia in other energy sectors.

“We must not allow the aggressor to evade sanctions. Their strict observance will help to stop the russian terror,” emphasised German Galushchenko.