On March 5, during a meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United States took the same position as China and Russia for the first time, declining to support a resolution that warned about nuclear safety risks resulting from attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The U.S. interim representative to the agency, Howard Solomon, stated that Washington recognizes the risks created by attacks on Ukraine’s energy system and supports measures aimed at ensuring the safety of nuclear power plants. However, he said the United States could not support a resolution that ’’would not help achieve peace between Ukraine and Russia’’.
China also did not support the resolution. On issues related to the Ukraine conflict, including nuclear safety, Beijing has traditionally emphasized the importance of resolving the conflict through diplomatic means and dialogue.
In particular, representatives of China’s Foreign Ministry stated several times in 2026 that Beijing supports all international efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis and believes that ’’dialogue and negotiations are the only way to resolve the crisis’’.
According to China’s official position, the safety of nuclear facilities is a shared responsibility of the international community, and actions that could increase nuclear risks or escalate the conflict must be avoided. Beijing also states that it is not a party to the conflict and seeks to maintain what it describes as an ’’objective and impartial position’’.
Thus, it appears that on international platforms, China seeks to maintain a neutral stance, supports negotiations and de-escalation, and rarely directly blames any party in its official statements.
Ultimately, the resolution was adopted by a majority vote. The issue remains especially significant in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, as attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure have repeatedly raised concerns about the safety of its nuclear power plants.
According to Reuters, the U.S. decision reflects the diplomatic complexities that currently shape both the convergence and divergence of major powers’ interests within international institutions.
Author: Mariam Simsive
