MOSCOW:Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, discussing various aspects of the situation around Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement on Friday.
Putin stressed that the systematic shelling by the Ukrainian military on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant creates risk of a large-scale catastrophe that could lead to radiation contamination of vast territories.
The Russian president also noted the importance of sending an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to the nuclear power plant as soon as possible.
Putin informed Macron about the implementation of the deal signed in Istanbul on July 22 to export Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea ports and export Russian food products and fertilizers to world markets.
Macron told Putin about his concerns regarding the nuclear plant in Ukraine, the Elysee Palace said in a press release shortly after the phone call.
