With Ukraine nuke plant in peril, UN tries to broker safety
The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says he'll meet with Ukraine’s and Russia’s foreign ministers in a bid to establish a safety and security zone around a nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine that is Europe’s largest
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Wednesday he met with Ukraine's and Russia's foreign ministers in a bid to establish a safety and security zone around a nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine that is Europe's largest. The Zaporizhzhia power plant has faced almost daily shelling and bombardment, raising fears of a nuclear accident.
Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that as a result of the separate meetings with Ukraine’s Dmytro Kuleba and Russia’s Sergey Lavrov, work has already begun on establishing and shaping the zone. He said he hopes to visit Kyiv soon, and “perhaps later on" go to Russia.
“Given the urgency of the situation and the gravity of what’s going on in the field we have to move fast," Grossi said. Both nations, he said, share "a conviction that the establishment of the zone is indispensable.”
“The mere fact that the two foreign ministers are sitting down with me and are listening to our ideas, I think it’s a good indicator that there is a very strong solid base for this thing to happen,” he said.
