The Kremlin said that Putin had no plans to meet with the head of the IAEA

Russian President Vladimir Putin does not intend to meet with the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, despite reports from Russian special services about the storage of weapons by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the territories of nuclear power plants. This was announced by the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov.

“No, the President does not have such a meeting so far. But at the same time, the President said that we intend and are ready and interested in continuing contacts with him and his organization,” he said.

Peskov added that the appearance of information about the storage of ammunition by the Ukrainian military at nuclear power plants only “emphasizes the relevance of such contact.” According to him, the Russian side will have to draw the attention of the IAEA to this problem, but so far the meeting of the head of state with the head of the organization is not required. Contacts between the parties continue at the expert level, Peskov said.

Earlier today, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Sergei Naryshkin informedthat the Russian special services have reliable data on the deployment of Western weapons by the Ukrainian military on the territories of the nuclear power plant. The press service noted that Kyiv expects that Russian troops will not attack weapons depots in the territories of nuclear power plants, realizing the danger of a nuclear threat. If the detonation happens due to a “stray Ukrainian air defense missile,” then the Ukrainian authorities will blame Moscow for the tragedy, the Foreign Intelligence Service added.

Earlier, the Russian authorities have repeatedly accused Ukraine of creating a nuclear threat around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. The shelling of the station by the Armed Forces of Ukraine became more frequent in the summer, and later in the fall of 2022. In this regard, in early September, an IAEA mission headed by the director of the agency, Rafael Grossi, arrived at the ZNPP. The organization called for an end to the attacks on the station and the establishment of a safe zone around it.

Putin and Grossi last met on October 11, 2022 in St. Petersburg. Then the head of state declaredthat Moscow is open to dialogue. On October 14, Grossi said that in the course of discussions with Russia and Ukraine, the parties managed to “get closer” to establishing a safe zone around the ZNPP.