Pakistan abstained from a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote on a resolution calling for Russia to withdraw its military and unauthorized personnel from Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and return control to Ukrainian authorities.
The resolution garnered 99 votes in favor, 9 against, and 60 abstentions. The countries opposing the resolution included Russia, Belarus, Burundi, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, and Syria.
Despite providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine and advocating for the respect of its sovereignty, Pakistan has maintained a neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, abstaining from similar resolutions condemning Russia’s actions.
Ukrainian U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya urged the assembly to prevent future nuclear disasters, emphasizing the critical need for security at nuclear facilities. The resolution not only demanded Russia’s withdrawal from the Zaporizhzhia plant but also called for an immediate halt to attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. This call comes amid increased assaults on Ukraine’s power grid, raising concerns about potential nuclear incidents.
In response, Russia’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy criticized the resolution as an attempt to push a misleading Western narrative regarding threats to nuclear facilities in Ukraine.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, was captured by Russian forces shortly after the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Although the plant is currently offline, it still requires external power to maintain cooling for its nuclear materials and prevent a potential meltdown. The resolution reaffirms the call for Russia to cease its aggression against Ukraine and withdraw all military forces unconditionally.
