Moscow may be ready to discuss US presence at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, says head of Russian state nuclear energy company

Aleksei Likhachev, the head of Russian nuclear energy giant Rosatom, has said that Russia is ready to engage in a discussion with Washington about a US presence at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Up until now, the Russians have categorically refused to discuss this issue.

Source: Aleksei Likhachev in response to a question from Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency Interfax

Quote from Likhachev: "If the country's leadership makes a political decision, we're ready to discuss this with the US side."

Details: Prior to this, the Russians have absolutely refused to discuss this issue.

Background:

• On 23 April, IAEA experts at the ZNPP heard loud gunshots near the main administrative building where their office is located. The IAEA team has also reported hearing explosions and gunshots almost daily over the past week at varying distances from the plant.
• IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated that the situation is highly unstable from a nuclear safety perspective.
• Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remarked that a proposal for US control over the ZNPP raises many complex questions. He added that a scenario in which the United States, alongside Ukraine, would jointly control the plant would be acceptable, but no such proposals have been made.

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