Russia will allow UN inspectors at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Ukrainian exercise in Zaporizhzhia
(Image credit: Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that his country's forces would allow United Nations officials to visit and inspect Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which has been occupied by Russian troops since the early days of the invasion.

According to BBC, Putin made his announcement following a call with French President Emmanuel Macron.

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In his nightly address Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed optimism about the inspection while continuing to condemn Russia's actions at the plant. "If Russian blackmail with radiation continues, this summer may go down in the history of various European countries as one of the most tragic of all time," he said.

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has warned that "[a]ny potential damage to Zaporizhzhia is suicide."

Grayson Quay

Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteModern AgeThe American ConservativeThe Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.