Ukraine and Russia are both interested in a proposal by the UN’s atomic watchdog to establish a protection zone around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Monday.
Speaking at a news conference in Vienna, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said he had held talks with both countries since he first made the call for the zone in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour last week.
Grossi said Ukraine was a “natural partner” in the talks since Zaporizhzhia is a Ukrainian plant, but added Russia is also “an indispensable part of the discussions since they are in control of the facility.”
He added that both Ukraine and Russia were engaging and asking questions about the proposed zone, which is designed to prevent activities like shelling that have caused damage to the plant, and to protect the security of the facility and the people there.