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TRANSCRIPT
On the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Moldova's President Maia Sandu have met in Kyiv.
Speaking at a joint news conference, Mr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of failing to learn from history, citing the brief Russian occupation of the Chernobyl plant in early 2022 as evidence of a lack of memory and conscience.
Ukrainian then vo: “In 2022, the Russians came to Chernobyl, occupied our station, turned it into a springboard for their war and demonstrated that they did not draw any conclusions at all and did not understand anything from the Soviet mistakes. They are people without memory and without conscience. That is why all of us, all of Russia's neighbours, all Europeans should be as united as possible, act in a coordinated manner, understanding our interests, which are common—security, economic, energy and all others.”
The Ukrainian leader called for maximum European unity and coordinated action to protect shared security and energy interests against modern threats.
Ms Sandu, who arrived in Kyiv to show solidarity on the milestone anniversary, noted that the 1986 disaster served as a permanent reminder that the threats posed by authoritarian regimes do not respect national borders.
“Forty years ago, the Chernobyl disaster reminded an entire continent that the threats of an authoritarian regime do not stop at borders. The Soviet regime knew what had happened and chose to hide it, while radiation spread across Europe, putting millions at risk.”
Ms Sandu drawing parallels between Russian action then and now.
“Chernobyl laid bare the Soviet regime's contempt for human life. Little has changed in the Kremlin since. That same contempt is visible in Russia's conduct today. And yet, facing it, Ukraine fights, Ukraine innovates, Ukraine endures.”
The visit comes as international concerns remain high over nuclear safety in Ukraine, particularly regarding the New Safe Confinement at Chernobyl and the ongoing Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Over the weekend, Russian airstrikes killed at least seven people in Ukraine, including five in the city of Dnipro.
And Ukraine carried out some of its long-distance drone strikes deep inside Russian territory with a woman killed and a man seriously injured by a drone strike in Russia's border region of Belgorod.
The war has been raging for more than 12 years, starting with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in late February 2014.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine started in February, 2022.
