President Biden Issues Response To Attack On Ukrainian Nuclear Plant

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Mar 4, 2022

President Joe Biden issued a response to the Russian assault on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant located in Ukraine, which officials in the country have claimed could have ended up causing a disaster “10 times larger than Chernobyl.”

According to a statement released by the White House, President Biden had a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Thursday evening to get an update on the fire at the facility. Biden then joined Zelenskyy in “urging Russia to cease its military activities in the area and allow firefighters and emergency responders to access the site.”

Reports say the fire has now been successfully put out as Russian forces took over the power plant.

The president said he also “spoke this evening with Under Secretary for Nuclear Security of the U.S. Department of Energy and Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Jill Hruby to receive an update on the situation at the plant.”

Biden will be updated on this situation regularly.

via Daily Wire:

On Thursday, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba announced that the “Russian army is firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia NPP” — the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. “Fire has already broke out. If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chornobyl! Russians must IMMEDIATELY cease the fire, allow firefighters, establish a security zone!”

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also said on social media that they are “aware of reports of shelling” at Zaporizhzhia and are “in contact with Ukrainian authorities” about the situation.

The shelling of the nuclear plant in Ukraine comes hot on the heels of failed talks between the two nations, as the The Wall Street Journal said, “The fire at the nuclear power plant comes after Moscow deepened its military offensive in southern Ukraine, penetrating the city of Kherson as Russian and Ukrainian negotiators agreed to establish ‘humanitarian corridors’ to allow civilians to leave besieged cities. Negotiators, however, failed to reach any agreement on an overall cease-fire, and Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled that he is determined to continue the war.”

“Russian forces Thursday continued pounding residential districts in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, and Chernihiv in the north. Moscow also conducted airstrikes on the capital, Kyiv, and several Russian warships appeared near the southern port city of Odessa in what Ukrainian officials said could be the opening stages of an amphibious assault,” the report continued.

On Tuesday, during his State of the Union speech, President Biden condemned President Vladimir Putin and promised that the U.S. is supportive of Ukraine.

“Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the very foundations of the free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways,” the president said. “But he badly miscalculated. He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead, he met with a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined. He met the Ukrainian people.”

“From President Zelensky to every Ukrainian, their fearlessness, their courage, their determination literally inspires the world,” he added. “Groups of citizens blocking tanks with their bodies. Everyone from students to retirees, to teachers turned soldiers defending their homeland. And in this struggle — President Zelensky said in his speech to the European Parliament, ‘Light will win over darkness.’”