The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has supported a resolution condemning attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure as a threat to nuclear security. The United States, along with Russia, China and Niger, voted against it.
This was reported by Reuters, whose journalists were at a closed meeting with diplomats.
The IAEA Board of Governors is made up of 35 states. 20 voted in favor, 10 abstained, and 4 voted against. This is the seventh such resolution adopted since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But it is the first time the United States has spoken out against it.
“While we continue to support the IAEA’s work in the country, we do not support the Board’s ongoing consideration of an unnecessary resolution that does not advance peace between Ukraine and Russia,” the United States said in a statement.
The wording of the resolution was not as strong as previous ones. The text, which was reviewed by journalists, states that the board of governors “reaffirms that attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for external energy supply to nuclear power plants, in particular the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, pose a direct threat to nuclear safety”.
- This is not the first time the United States has voted for resolutions concerning Ukraine other than Ukraine itself. For example, on February 24, 2026, the United States abstained from voting on the UN General Assembly resolution “On Supporting a Lasting Peace in Ukraine”.
- In December, the United States, along with Russia, voted against a UN General Assembly resolution on the Chernobyl disaster. At the time, Washington explained this by the provisions of the document that the United States considers "incompatible with national sovereignty". The details of the problem were not specified.
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