Zelenskyy welcomes UN sanctions on Iran, calls for similar measures against Russia

New Delhi,UPDATED: Sep 29, 2025 00:49 IST

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed the United Nations Security Council's recent decision to reinstate sanctions on Iran, emphasizing that such measures are crucial for states perceived as threats to global nuclear security. He highlighted ongoing concerns regarding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, urging the international community to apply comparable pressure and sanctions against Russia, which he accuses of creating a nuclear risk by seizing the facility. The Ukrainian president's statements position the situation at Zaporizhzhia as a parallel to Iran's protracted defiance of international nuclear norms.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy criticised Tehran for years of non-compliance with the Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the wider international community.

"Tehran has long ignored calls from the IAEA and the international community, undermining the nuclear order. This must be a global rule to follow: whenever anyone undermines or threatens international peace and security, harsh sanctions must be imposed without delay," Zelenskyy wrote.

He also drew a direct analogy between Iran’s behaviour and Russia’s current actions in Ukraine, particularly citing the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. He asserted that Russia "is on the same page as Iran" and further specified that "Russia seized a Ukrainian nuclear plant along with its nuclear materials and effectively turned the Zaporizhzhia NPP into a global nuclear threat." The president warned that this act has escalated the risk of a nuclear incident in a region already destabilised by conflict.

The Ukrainian president argued that states threatening global peace through reckless nuclear-related actions should not escape consequences. He called on the international community to employ the same level of resolve in responding to Russia’s actions at Zaporizhzhia as it did with Iran's nuclear program, suggesting that uniform enforcement of international norms is necessary to uphold the integrity of the global nuclear order.

The United Nations reimposed sanctions on Iran early Sunday over its nuclear program, further squeezing the Islamic Republic as its people increasingly find themselves priced out of the food they need to survive and worried about their futures.

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