(RightWing.org) – On June 22, Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced legislation proposing that any use of a nuclear weapon by Russia or the destruction of a nuclear plant that disperses radioactive materials into NATO territory would be considered an attack on the alliance itself, triggering an Article V response — meaning NATO would strike back at Russia, acting on a united front. As it turns out, a recent report indicates that Ukrainian troops are expecting a nuclear attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned the West for weeks that Russian military forces are preparing to stage a nuclear event at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The facility is the largest in Europe and the ninth biggest globally.
On July 1, Zelenskyy met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to discuss those concerns and others related to the ongoing military conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Sánchez condemned the recent Russian attack on the Kakhovka Dam, the largest one of the largest hydroelectric plants in Europe.
Zelenskyy shot back that “unfortunately,” there was an “even more terrible threat” looming — “the preparation [for] a potential nuclear disaster” at the Zaporishzhia facility by “Russian terrorists.”
The Ukrainian president returned to the subject at another press conference. Citing Ukrainian military intelligence, he warned that Russia was “technically ready to [create] a local explosion” at the nuclear plant. He also noted that such an attack “could lead” to the release of “dangerous substance into the atmosphere.”
Additionally, Zelenskyy pushed for the return of control of the Zaporizhzhia NPP to Ukraine. However, he noted that the Russians mined the facility. “That is a fact,” he proclaimed.
Continuing, the Ukrainian president told reporters the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed there were mined areas adjacent to the power plant but not on the reactor itself. He also warned that several hundred Russian fighters were stationed at the facility armed with various weapons and grenades. Likewise, he noted that there were also heavy weapons in the vicinity.
The timing of Zelenskyy’s meeting with Sánchez is particularly noteworthy since the Spanish leader assumed control of the Council of the European Union that day. The presidency rotates among member states every six months. Spain is also a member of good standing in NATO and has participated as a member of that body’s Security Council.
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