State Department Blasts Russia For Blocking Joint Declaration On Nuclear Non-Proliferation

The State Department on Sunday called out Russia’s 'cynical obstructionism' after Moscow remained the sole holdout in blocking the adoption of a joint declaration on nuclear non-proliferation following lengthy international negotiations at the UN, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"After weeks of intensive but productive negotiations, the Russian Federation alone decided to block consensus on a final document at the conclusion of the Tenth Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty" Vedant Patel, a deputy spokesman for the Department, said in a statement.

Russia, he noted, "did so in order to block language that merely acknowledged the grave radiological risk at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine, the very kind of challenge the conference is called upon to address."

The 191 signatories review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty every 5 years, which aims to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and promote cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

But on Friday, the Kremlin prevented the declaration’s adoption, saying it took issue with “political” aspects of the text.

“For the Russian Federation to not accept such language in the face of overwhelming international consensus underscores the need for the United States and others to continue urging Russia to end its military activity near ZNPP and return control of the plant to Ukraine,” Patel said.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.