Statement by the delegation of Ukraine at the High-Level Plenary Meeting of the UN General Assembly to commemorate and promote the International Day Against Nuclear Tests 

(3 September 2025, New York)

Mr. President,

On the occasion of the International Day against Nuclear Tests, Ukraine joins the international community in commemorating all victims of nuclear explosions and reaffirms its commitment to a comprehensive, legally binding prohibition of nuclear tests as a guarantee of strengthening international security.

Ukraine believes that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is one of the key legal elements of the global security architecture in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and serves as an essential instrument to establish a global standard against nuclear testing.

As a responsible member of the international community, Ukraine ratified the CTBT in 2001 and has actively contributed to advancing its universalization and entry into force.

We call upon all states that have not yet done so - in particular the remaining Annex 2 States - to sign and ratify the CTBT without any preconditions or further delay.

Furthermore, we stress the importance for all states to maintain existing moratorium on nuclear testing, including by refraining from actions that could create conditions for their resumption.

Ukraine supports the further strengthening of the CTBT verification regime, including the International Monitoring System, the International Data Centre, and on-site inspections as a guarantee of effective monitoring of compliance.

We would like to draw the attention of UN Member States to the fact that Ukraine’s certified primary seismic station PS45 (Malyn) delivered seismic data to the International and National Data Centres at a rate of 99.59%. This level of availability — sustained amid ongoing war of aggression by the Russian Federation, including repeated missile and drone attacks, grid instability, and physical damage risks — was enabled by the professionalism of the PS45 Operator’s and Station’s teams, as well as the step-by-step installation of guaranteed backup power at the station.

Despite the war, Ukraine remains committed to ensuring reliable transmission of data from the Ukrainian seismic station.

Mr. President,

As the country that voluntarily gave up the third world’s largest arsenal of nuclear weapons and knowing that nuclear devastation is not only the legacy of past wars, Ukraine condemns any steps that undermine the established nuclear test ban regime, including the withdrawal of ratification of the CTBT and practices incompatible with the object and purpose of the Treaty.

In this regard, we strongly denounce the nuclear tests conducted by the DPRK. Ukraine urges North Korea to fully comply with its obligations under multiple UN Security Council resolutions to refrain from testing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

We also call on Pyongyang to immediately return to compliance with the Treaty on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, as well as sign and ratify the Additional Protocol thereto, as well as the CTBT.

We also cannot ignore Russia’s withdrawal from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty — a decision that further erodes the global disarmament regime.

Unfortunately, today’s reality demonstrates that nuclear arsenals are increasingly being used as instruments of coercion and intimidation against neighboring States that do not possess nuclear weapons.

Such threats erode the core balance established by the NPT - the undertaking by non-nuclear-weapon states to abstain from acquiring nuclear weapons in exchange for the gradual reduction of nuclear arsenals by nuclear-weapon states and guaranteed access to peaceful use of nuclear energy. They further undermine the assurances given to non-nuclear-weapon states regarding the non-use of nuclear weapons.

In this regard, we are compelled to note that the current security environment is defined by Russian aggression, nuclear threats and the seizure of Ukrainian nuclear facilities.

We underscore that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is and will remain an integral part of Ukraine's sovereign territory. We categorically reject any attempts by Russia to question this fact. They are legally null and void.

Ukraine calls on the international community to intensify pressure on Russia to ensure the immediate and complete withdrawal of Russian military and other personnel from the Zaporizhzhia NPP site and the return of the plant to Ukraine's full control.

We underline that this is not just a threat to Ukraine — it is a survival test for the mankind. Nuclear safety is no longer a theoretical concern — it is a daily threat until the Russia’s crime of aggression endues.

Finally, Ukraine will continue to enhance its own defense capabilities and work with its partners towards strengthening sanctions and other appropriate measures, as well as to establish effective, legally binding security guarantees for non-nuclear-weapon states.

Thank you, Mr. President.