On 27 April 2026, within the framework of the Review Conference of the Parties to the (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, NPT), an international event titled “Nuclear Safety in Ukraine during the War: Ensuring the Safety of Nuclear Facilities while Marking the Fortieth Anniversary of the Chornobyl Disaster” was held on the margins of the United Nations. The event was organized by Ukraine jointly with Finland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom on the margins of the United Nations.
The discussion focused on the critical situation of nuclear safety in Ukraine in the context of the ongoing armed aggression of the Russian Federation. Particular attention was paid to the situation around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which remains under illegal control of the Russian Federation, as well as to the risks associated with attacks on energy infrastructure. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, all seven key principles of nuclear safety have been violated at the plant.
In their welcoming remarks, high-ranking officials of the co-organizing countries emphasized the need for a consolidated international response. In particular, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway Eivind Vad Petersson stressed the role of international solidarity in reducing nuclear risks; Permanent State Secretary of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland Jukka Salovaara underlined the importance of adherence to international law; Minister of State for Europe of the United Kingdom Stephen Doughty drew attention to the need for political pressure to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities; Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Asta Plepytė emphasized the responsibility of the international community; representative of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Johannes Oljelund outlined approaches to strengthening the non-proliferation regime.
The keynote address was delivered by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleksandr Mishchenko, who presented an updated assessment of threats to nuclear safety, in particular in connection with the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and attacks on energy infrastructure.
Within the framework of the event, a video address by Deputy Chairman of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management Oleksii Budyk regarding the situation in the Chornobyl zone was also presented, as well as a speech by Chairman of the Ukrainian Peace Council Mykhailo Zhurovskyi, who, on behalf of the Kyiv Round Table (21 April 2026, NNEGC “Energoatom”), outlined the lessons of the Chornobyl disaster and their significance for contemporary challenges to nuclear safety.
Participants emphasized the need to strengthen international cooperation and to return the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under the full sovereign control of Ukraine as a key prerequisite for ensuring global nuclear safety.