On Friday, Russia requested that the U.N. nuclear watchdog act as a mediator between Moscow and Washington in order to settle the dispute over U.S. nuclear fuel kept at a Russian-controlled power plant in Ukraine.
Russia wants to revive the dormant Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility, which used to provide a fifth of Ukraine’s electricity and is located close to one of the war’s front lines. There are many obstacles, including the fuel concern.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s head, Rafael Grossi, told Reuters last week that the absence of a reliable power source and cooling water made it difficult to restart at this time.
After meeting with Grossi on Friday, Russian nuclear energy chief Alexei Likhachev stated that Russia was open to using the fuel, which was provided by the American corporation Westinghouse, or removing it completely and sending it back to the US.
According to his broadcast remarks, Westinghouse and U.S. energy authorities had previously brought up intellectual property issues with Russia in relation to the fuel issue.
Rafael Grossi was quoted by the state news agency RIA as suggesting that the International Atomic Energy Agency was open to mediating.
Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shelling the largest nuclear plant in Europe, Zaporizhzhia, increasing the likelihood of a catastrophic disaster.
According to Likhachev, Russia had a “comprehensive plan” in place for the plant’s gradual commissioning, but it could only be carried out if all military threats were eliminated.
Shortly after its troops entered Ukraine at the beginning of the conflict, Russia took control of the facility in March 2022. The last of its six reactors ceased producing power in September 2022.
Source: Reuters and other media outlets
