Russia/Ukraine- “Fantastic Confession” and a Permanent IAEA Presence

This was the scenario reported by Military Summary yesterday

Russia says thwarted Ukrainian attempt to capture Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

• Russia’s defence ministry said on Thursday Ukrainian forces tried to seize the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine and “measures had been taken” to destroy the opposing troops, including use of military aviation.

In a statement, the ministry said that up to 60 Ukrainian troops had crossed the Dnipro river, which divides territory held by the two sides, in boats at 6 a.m. local time (0300 GMT). It called the operation a “provocation” aimed at disrupting a planned visit by International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to the nuclear plant.

It also accused Ukraine of shelling both the meeting point of the IAEA delegation, and the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia plant itself.

Separately, Russian state-owned news agency RIA cited local Russian-installed official Vladimir Rogov as saying that the Ukrainian troops had landed between one to two kilometres (0.62-1.24 miles) away from the nuclear plant.

The mission by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog aims to assess risks from the ongoing hostilities in the area.

Zelensky disbands Ukrainian delegation at Contact Group

The only surprise in this move is that it took Zelensky so long

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has officially disbanded the Ukrainian delegation at the Contact Group seeking peace for eastern Ukraine, according to the decrees posted on the president’s website on Thursday.

Decree No. 167/2020 of the President of Ukraine dated May 5, 2020 ‘On the delegation of Ukraine participating in the Trilateral Contact Group’ shall be declared null and void,” the document reads.

In general, Thursday’s decree abolishes six presidential decrees of 2020-2021 on the work of the Ukrainian delegation at the Contact Group and the delegation’s composition.

Contact Group

Thanks to the Contact Group consisting of representatives of Russia, the OSCE and Ukraine, negotiations were held at various levels in the Normandy Four group (Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France). As a result, agreements on the roadmap for a peace settlement and ceasefire in Donbass (known as the Minsk accords) were sealed in September 2014 and February 2015.

A significant provision of the agreements was the requirement that Ukraine carry out reforms on decentralization, including a law on the special status of certain areas in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions within the country. Under the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, the special status of Donbass provided, in particular, for the right to linguistic self-determination for residents of the region, the establishment of a people’s militia, and an amnesty for all participants in the armed conflict. The Minsk accords, which were endorsed by a UN Security Council resolution, are binding.

Nevertheless, the negotiation process has actually stalled due to Kiev’s refusal to implement “the political provisions” of the Minsk peace deal. Kiev deliberately dragged out the talks at the Contact Group under President Pyotr Poroshenko (who was in office in 2014-2919) and then after Vladimir Zelensky took office in 2019. In particular, Kiev was reluctant to build any direct dialogue with the DPR and LPR and enshrine the region’s special status

It seems to me Zelensky is willing to sacrifice the Ukrainian people- As willing as the US/UK are to fight to the last Ukrainian

Two IAEA inspectors to stay at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant permanently -Russian envoy

Two inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will stay at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on a permanent basis, Russia’s ambassador to international institutions in Vienna told the RIA Novosti news agency on Friday.

Doubtful this pleases Zelensky as we will read. The information below is NOT from a Russian source it’s Euronews.

Ukraine war: Zelenskyy hits out over nuclear watchdog’s visit to Zaporizhzhia plant

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hit out over the UN visit to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. 

He’s upset the nuclear watchdog inspecting the Zaporizhzhia facility, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has not yet called for the demilitarisation of the site.

Perhaps the site is not militarized or is not militarized to the extent Zelensky suggests it is?

Zelenskyy also scolded Russia for allegedly obstructing journalists from accompanying the IAEA on its visit to the plant. 

As was reported here yesterday, there were journalists confirming IAEA presence/arrival at the plant

"The key thing that should happen is the demilitarisation of the territory of the plant," said Zelenskyy. "This is exactly the goal of Ukrainian and international efforts. And it is bad that we have not yet heard the appropriate calls from the IAEA. Although we talked about it with Mr Grossi at our meeting in Kyiv. This was the key – the key! – security point of our agreements. It was clearly stated: demilitarisation and full control by Ukrainian nuclear specialists.

To my knowledge the plant is run by Ukrainian staff. I’m assuming this Ukrainian staff are Ukrainian nuclear specialists. Is Zelensky suggesting they aren’t? I find his statement confusing.

The Germans are going to suffer for Ukraine!

‘Fantastic confession’: Lavrov rips Baerbock’s remark that Germans must suffer for Ukraine

“Just today I read that yesterday Mrs. Annalena Baerbock, the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany, said: ‘Yes, our citizens are suffering, but they will have to suffer because we will support Ukraine no matter what.' That's a fantastic admission. Just a fantastic confession. It is in line, as they put it, with what they say about the need to hold early elections in a number of European countries," he said.

Lavrov noted that Western elites are guided by yesterday’s logic. “The unipolar world is being promoted contrary to the objective trends in historical development, which dictate the recognition of the real emergence and strengthening of new centers of economic development, financial power, and political influence, centers that have a sense of dignity that want to stand up for their legitimate interests, respect the traditions of their civilizations, [that are] centuries old, [and even] millennia old, which do not want to be mowed down by liberal values,” he added.

The Russian top diplomat also drew attention to statements by Robert Habeck, Germany's Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, that national interests in Europe should be done away with. “This is also very revealing,” Lavrov added.