WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Russia should agree to a demilitarized zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine and allow international officials to assess its safety, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Thursday.
The plant, Europe’s largest, was seized by Russia in March and remains close to the frontline. It has come under repeated fire in recent weeks, raising fears of a nuclear disaster, with both Russia and Ukraine accusing each other of shelling it.
“Russia should agree to the demilitarized zone around the plant and agree to allow an International Atomic Energy Agency visit as soon as possible to check on the safety and security of the system,” Jean-Pierre said.
She said the plant had come up in a call on Thursday between U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Both Ukrainian and Russian officials have said the U.N. nuclear watchdog IAEA could visit the plant soon.
In the call, scheduled to mark Ukraine’s independence day on Aug. 24, Biden reinforced U.S. support for Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia six months ago in what Ukraine and the West described as an unprovoked war of aggression. Moscow says it is carrying out a “special military operation” to “demilitarize” and “denazify” its smaller neighbor.
“I know it is a bittersweet anniversary, but I made it clear that the United States would continue to support Ukraine and its people as they fight to defend their sovereignty,” Biden said on Twitter.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Alexandra Alper; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Grant McCool)
