Putin discusses Ukraine with Macron, briefs him on situation surrounding Zaporizhzhya NPP

MOSCOW. March 6 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron over the phone at France's initiative on Sunday, the Kremlin press service said.

"Due to the concern expressed by Emmanuel Macron about security of the nuclear power plants in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin briefed him in detail about the provocation staged by Ukrainian radicals in the area of the Zaporizhzhya NPP with the involvement of a sabotage group," the statement said.

"Attempts to shift responsibility for the incident onto the Russian military are an element of a cynical propaganda campaign. Russian troops in interaction with the Ukrainian guard unit and the plant's personnel continue to ensure the operation of the nuclear power plant in a routine mode and the radiation levels remain normal, and all this has been officially confirmed by the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency]. The physical and nuclear safety of the plant is reliably protected," the Kremlin noted

"The Russian Armed Forces are also in control of the Chernobyl NPP. All this is being done to rule out the possibility of Ukrainian neo-Nazis or terrorists staging provocations fraught with disastrous consequences," the Kremlin added.

"Commenting on the proposal made by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency to hold a trilateral (IAEA - Russia - Ukraine) meeting in the Chernobyl [NPP] zone to elaborate a mechanism for ensuring safety of nuclear facilities in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin said that this idea could be useful in principle, but it would be worth considering holding such a meeting via video conference or in a third country," the statement said.