President Macron and Zelensky
Source: Elysee Courtesy
These two leaders who had had a permanent exchange since long before the attack of February 24, 2022, but even during the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, until May 24, when telephone exchanges had ceased. This Friday, the French president exchanged with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, a first for almost three months. At the end of their telephone exchange, according to the Elysée, the Russian and French presidents agreed on the need to send a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to Zaporijjia "as soon as possible deadlines", who will be able to assess the situation on the spot. A few days earlier (August 16, 2022) President Macron had discussed the same subject with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Source Elysee French Presidency. On the Russian side, (Source Kremlin) the Russian President, Vladimir Putin warned of “Ukrainian bombardments [which] risk causing a large-scale catastrophe which could lead to the radioactive contamination of vast territories”and that Russia is "ready to provide all necessary assistance to the Agency's inspectors". The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, went to Ukraine on Thursday August 18 in Ukraine, and considering that "any potential damage in Zaporizhia would be suicide", while asking the Russians, who seized the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, not to cut it from the Ukrainian network, explaining that: "Obviously, the electricity of Zaporijjia is Ukrainian electricity, this principle must be fully respected", he specified At the same time, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Kyiv, Ukraine on Thursday August 18, 2022, warning of fears of a "new Chernobyl".
