MOSCOW, December 8. /TASS/. Kiev is blatantly ignoring the presence of representatives from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the Zaporozhye NPP, while the main goal of a security zone around the facility, being discussed at the moment, is a stop to Ukraine’s bombardments, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing on Thursday.
"As far as the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is concerned, the main goal that the creation of such a zone pursues is the guaranteed prevention of bombardments by Ukraine’s military. These shellings can result in a man-made disaster with unpredictable consequences, which we have warned of more than once. The Ukrainian authorities, at the instigation of their Western patrons, are certain about their complete impunity and shamelessly ignore the presence of IAEA officials at the power plant," Zakharova said.
"As far as I know, the Western media does not draw an objective picture critical of the Kiev regime’s shellings. This gives Kiev the delusion that it will not bear any responsibility, that no one will criticize it, that no one will ostracize it for such actions in any way. This encourages the Kiev regime to commit new crimes," Zakharova stated.
She believes that publicly commenting on the parameters of the security zone around the ZNPP would be wrong.
"As for the parameters of the mentioned zone, the Russian side continues to work on them. At present I consider it improper to comment on them publicly, because it is entirely up to the experts to do this scrupulous work," Zakharova said.
While answering journalists' questions, she pointed out that Washington constantly called on Kiev "to fight to the bitter end, till victory on the battlefield. This verbal incitement of the Kiev regime continues non-stop in addition to actual support.""Your question was about the Department of State’s statement that the United States does not encourage the Ukrainian military to attack certain targets. How can they then explain their own statements regarding the need for the Kiev regime to achieve victory? This is a dichotomy, some kind of absolute contradiction to one’s own statements," Zakharova concluded.