3rd World War would involve nuclear weapons, be destructive, says Russia foreign minister

IAEA has told both countries to refrain from any action that would threaten Ukraine’s nuclear plants. The country has four nuclear sites, with a total of 15 reactors.

File photo of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov| Commons

New Delhi: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that if a third World War were to occur, it would involve nuclear weapons and be destructive, Reuters quoted news agency RIA Novosti.

Lavrov said Russia would face a “real danger” if Kyiv acquired nuclear weapons.

After the siege of the defunct nuclear plant Chernobyl, Ukraine is now fiercely guarding its other plants.

CNN reported that hundreds of workers blocked an access road Wednesday to a nuclear power plant near the southeastern town of Enerhodar as Russian forces entered the area.

Garbage trucks were also used to block the road, the report said.

Mayor Dmytro Orlov took to Facebook to assure residents that the plant was safe. He wrote: “We conveyed the position of our city and its residents that the ZNPP (Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant) is under reliable protection, that its workers and residents of Enerhodar are under Ukrainian flags.”

He wrote that all municipal services were working in emergency mode. “Nobody is going to surrender the city. People are determined,” Orlov added.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has told both countries to refrain from any action that would threaten the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear plants. Ukraine has four nuclear sites, with a total of 15 reactors.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine was on its seventh day Wednesday, as both countries geared up to talk a second time, the first having failed two days ago.

The Associated Press quoted a Kremlin spokesman as saying that a Russian delegation was ready to resume talks in the evening with Ukraine.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave no additional details about the location or format of the talks.

“This afternoon, in the late afternoon, our delegation will be in place waiting for Ukrainian negotiators,” Peskov said in a conference call, CNN reported. He hoped the Ukrainian delegation would show up.

Talks on Monday took place in Belarus where the two sides discussed a potential ceasefire, but could not agree on anything concrete.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr has asked Russia to stop bombing his cities if “meaningful discussions” were to take place.