The European Union has condemned Russia's continued membership on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, arguing that Moscow's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty is incompatible with its obligations under the IAEA Statute. In a statement delivered at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna on 11 June 2026, the EU took note of the decision to designate for Board membership in 2026-27 the countries most advanced in nuclear technology, but said it considers it unacceptable that Russia, a designated Board member, continues to violate the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of another IAEA Member State.
The statement was delivered by the EU delegation to the international organisations in Vienna during the Board's session from 8 to 12 June 2026. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Ukraine and the United Kingdom aligned themselves with the EU position.
The EU recalled that the IAEA Statute does not entail only rights and privileges, but also obligations, and that all IAEA Member States, and even more so designated Board members, must act in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. The EU urged all Member States to comply with the IAEA Statute and all relevant IAEA and UN resolutions.
This is the first time the EU has publicly challenged Russia's seat on the IAEA Board on these grounds, marking a significant diplomatic pushback. The statement does not propose any concrete mechanism to remove Russia from the Board, but signals growing frustration among EU member states with Russia's continued presence in international nuclear governance bodies amid the war in Ukraine.
The IAEA Board of Governors, composed of 35 member states, is responsible for making policy and budget decisions for the agency. Russia has been a designated member under Article VI.A.1 of the IAEA Statute, which reserves seats for countries most advanced in nuclear technology. The EU's statement challenges the assumption that such designation should be automatic regardless of a country's compliance with international law.
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