Zelensky and Macron discuss mission to Zaporizhzhia NPP
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, held an off-the-record conversation on the night of August 30
It was confirmed to Hromadske by the presidential spokesman Serhii Nykyforov.
As he noted, the presidents discussed the mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP).
They talked about the chronology of the visit, logistics, and security issues.
In the afternoon, the president may meet with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who heads the delegation.
As Rubryka reported, IAEA inspectors have already arrived in Kyiv.
International Atomic Energy Agency Mission
Ukraine has repeatedly emphasized the need for an IAEA mission at the ZNPP.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the mission could quickly and safely legally get to the station through the free territory of Ukraine.
The IAEA visit was actively discussed after russian troops repeatedly shelled the territories near the station.
The invaders are doing everything possible to disrupt the visit.
It is reported that with the last shelling, they hit between the second and third reactors; satellite images of the Maxar Technologies company confirm this.
The Zaporizhzhia NPP is again supplying electricity to the Ukrainian grid–both of the power units of the ZNPP that were stopped on Thursday have been connected to the grid.
The specialists of the State Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority calculate the direction of the wind and the potential contamination of the territories in the event of an accident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant every day.
On August 29, the delegation left for Ukraine. It included 14 international experts. As the New York Times wrote, the mission includes experts from Poland and Lithuania, which are friendly to Ukraine, and from Serbia and China, which support relations with russia.
The rest of the participants are representatives of countries that mostly stood aside from russia's war against Ukraine or kept open ties with the Kremlin. These are Albania, France, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, and North Macedonia.
The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Oleh Nikolenko, said that during the visit to the ZNPP, the IAEA mission would focus on three tasks: physical protection, nuclear safety, and guarantees of non-proliferation of nuclear materials.
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