Worry is on the end. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on Tuesday with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky about the situation at the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant, under Russian control in southern Ukraine and a recurring target of strikes. At the end of this conversation, the Head of State called on the Russian forces to leave the area.
In his exchanges with Zelensky, he thus underlined “his concern about the threat posed by the presence, the actions of the Russian armed forces and the context of war with the ongoing conflicts on the safety and security of Ukrainian nuclear installations, and called for the withdrawal of these forces,” said the Elysée.
The telephone interview took place “in the morning” and “lasted 1h20”, indicated the French presidency. In a tweet at the start of the afternoon, the Ukrainian president thanked his French counterpart for “tangible aid to defence” and indicated that he had discussed with Macron “macro-financial aid to Ukraine and food security challenges. »
The plant, the largest in Europe, was taken in early March by Russian troops, at the start of their invasion of Ukraine launched on February 24. Since the end of July, several strikes, of which the two parties accuse each other, have targeted the site, raising fears of a nuclear disaster and provoking a meeting of the UN Security Council last week.
Threat to Europe
A “disaster” at the plant would threaten all of Europe, Volodymyr Zelensky warned Monday, accusing the Russian army of “bombing surrounding towns and communities” from this nuclear site.
VIDEO. “A nuclear disaster in Zaporizhia would threaten the whole of Europe”, warns Zelensky
The last telephone exchange between the two officials dates back to August 1. President Macron, on vacation since July 29 at Fort Brégançon (Var), then welcomed the resumption of grain transport by sea from southern Ukraine, blocked due to the Russian offensive.