France claims Putin agrees to deploy nuclear watchdog mission to Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

EUROPEAN PRAVDA – FRIDAY, 19 AUGUST 2022, 18:38

European Pravda reports that the Office of the French President has released a statement following French President Emmanuel Macron’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Source: Macron’s office, European Pravda

Quote: "President Macron once again emphasised his concern over the risks that the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Plant poses to nuclear safety and security, and expressed his support for sending a mission of IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency - ed.] experts to the site as quickly as possible, under conditions approved by Ukraine and the UN. The Russian President indicated his agreement to the deployment of this mission and the terms that were discussed." 

The statement goes on to say that the two presidents will discuss this subject again in the next few days, following discussions between the technical teams.

Earlier, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s Permanent Representative to international organisations in Vienna, said that it would be possible to organise a visit of the International Atomic Energy Agency mission to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP in early September, but hinted that the Russian Federation will only agree to this on its own terms.

Background: On 19 August, French President Emmanuel Macron called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the first time in a while.

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