Macron asks Putin to withdraw weaponry from Ukrainian nuclear plant

Heavy and light weapons must be removed from the Zaporizhzhia power plant, French President Emmanuel Macron urged President Vladimir Putin in a conversation on Sunday about the plant, which is under siege from Russian forces.

According to a statement from the Elysee Palace, Putin pointed to “regular Ukrainian attacks on the sites of the Zaporizhia power plant, including the repository of radioactive waste, which could lead to catastrophic consequences”.

In mid-August, Putin and Macron agreed on the need for an on-site inspection to check the plant’s state. On Sunday, as the last reactor in Zaporizhia was shut down, Putin warned his French counterpart about the “catastrophic consequences” of Kyiv’s attacks on the plant’s perimeter.

The Russian and French presidents agreed on the need for “depoliticised interaction” with the support of the International Atomic Energy Agency. According to the Elysee, Macron also asked his counterpart to withdraw any Russian “heavy and light weapons” from the site.

The two presidents also discussed global food security.

“It is the joint responsibility of international partners, including Russia, to ensure that the most exposed countries continue to receive the food they need,” Macron said.

The EU “should not hinder” Russian grain and fertiliser exports being sent to Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, Putin told Macron, a Kremlin communiqué writes.

Macron will remain in contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and IAEA Director Rafael Mariano Grossi, the Elysée said, adding that Macron will again speak to Putin about the plant in the coming days.