Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom said on Thursday it would continue talks with International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi on a buffer zone around Ukraine’s Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
In a statement published on Telegram, Rosatom said that “approaches for the creation of a nuclear and security protection zone at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant were discussed” and that there was “significant closeness” between the positions of both sides.
The state said the talks would continue on the basis of “understanding of the need to reach a mutually acceptable text as soon as possible.”
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, Europe’s largest, was captured by Russian troops in March, in the early days of Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine. It remains close to the front line and has been repeatedly attacked in recent months, raising fears of nuclear catastrophe.
Moscow and Kiev blame each other for the bombings. The IAEA, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, has proposed creating a safety zone around the plant to prevent any damage to the facility.
