Kremlin Says No Immediate Plans for Putin-Grossi Meeting

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has no immediate plans to meet with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.

"No, the president has no such contacts in his plans at the moment. Both our diplomats and [Russia's state nuclear corporation] Rosatom and the relevant agencies continue to interact with Grossi," Peskov said when asked if Putin had any plans to meet with Grossi.

Earlier in the day, Grossi said that he would continue intensive consultations with Russia and Ukraine in the coming days and weeks regarding the physical and nuclear protection zone at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP). The IAEA said on Friday it would also be monitoring the situation at the Khmelnytskyi and other Ukrainian nuclear power plants, where agency experts have already been deployed.

In December, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Kiev seeks to create the appearance of the threat of a nuclear catastrophe by continuing to deliberately shell the ZNPP. The IAEA has repeatedly stated the need for a safety zone around the nuclear facility.

Located on the left bank of the Dnepr River, the ZNPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe by number of units and output. During the military operation in Ukraine launched by Russia on February 24, the station and surrounding area went under the control of Russian forces and have since been shelled multiple times. Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the attacks.