Macron and Putin are in talks. – French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin are in discussion of nuclear safety. Kremlin reported the contents of their conversation.
Macron expressed the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. President Putin answered, “the provocation staged by Ukrainian radicals in the area of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant with the involvement of a sabotage group.”
“Russian troops are in cooperation with Ukrainian personnel and continue to ensure the operation of the nuclear power plant in the normal mode and the radioactive background remains normal,” Putin said. He added that these details can be confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“The physical and nuclear safety of the plant is well protected,” the readout said.
Russian Armed Forces “control the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant” to ensure there are no “provocations fraught with catastrophic consequences by Ukrainian neo-Nazis or terrorists.”
The French president also suggested holding a trilateral (IAEA-Russia-Ukraine) meeting in the Chernobyl zone. Putin responded with “In principle, this idea could be useful, but it would be worth considering whether to hold such a meeting via videoconference or in a third country.”
Both leaders were also talking about evacuating the civilian population. Putin said that Ukraine “is not fulfilling the agreements reached on such an acute humanitarian issue.”
“Ukrainian nationalists did not allow the evacuation from these cities. And the pause in hostilities was again used to build up forces and means in their positions.”
This is part of the French president’s ongoing effort to calm the situation and find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. He believes that there could be talks done to deescalate the conflict.