French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed concern to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin about safety risks at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant in Ukraine, Macron’s office said, adding that Putin had agreed to send a mission of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the site.
A statement also said that the two presidents — who discussed the situation in Ukraine in a phone call on August 19 — agreed to continue their talks in the coming days.
The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant was captured by Russia in March, shortly after it invaded Ukraine on February 24.
The plant — Europe’s largest — has repeatedly come under fire in recent weeks, sparking fears of a nuclear disaster. Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of shelling the plant.
The Kremlin quoted Putin as saying that the shelling of the Russian-controlled nuclear site, which he blamed on Kyiv, created the risk of ”large-scale catastrophe.”
According to the Kremlin, both leaders called for IAEA experts to inspect the plant ”as soon as possible” and ”assess the real situation on the ground.” Läs artikel