By KYIV. Dec 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Russia proposes, as part of demilitarization of the Zaporozhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) occupied by its troops, to replace the military with the Russian National Guard, but this is absolutely unacceptable for Ukraine, Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko has said.
"In our understanding, as well as in the understanding of the entire civilized world, demilitarization is the complete withdrawal of the military, the National Guard, heavy equipment from the plant and, accordingly, the creation of a perimeter around where it will not be. In the understanding of the Russians, it sounds that they want to replace the armed forces with the National Guard. And this is definitely not what we are talking about," Haluschenko said on the air of the United News national telethon on Tuesday.
At the same time, he added that representatives of the Rostatom concern, who are illegally at this plant, should also leave with the military and "enable Ukrainian personnel to calmly and safely do their work."
"Here are the mandatory conditions. And if we can reach an agreement on this basis, then, of course, this will be good news. But now the rhetoric that comes from the Kremlin is directed in the other direction," the minister said.
