Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said it was not timely to say that Moscow and Kyiv are close to an agreement on creating a security zone around the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). She reported this to RIA Novosti.

As the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted, commenting on the statement of the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, that experts are close to an acceptable agreement between the Russian Federation and Ukraine on the creation of a security zone around the ZNPP, there are no direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on this issue.

She stressed that the Russian side is discussing the topic of ZNPP with the IAEA Secretariat, which is already cooperating with the Ukrainian side.

“To say that the parties are close to agreement is untimely. The question in principle is whether Kyiv is ready to commit itself to stop shelling and attempts to seize the ZNPP, and whether the IAEA will be able to achieve the implementation of such hypothetical agreements by Ukrainians,” Zakharova said.

Earlier, the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, said that the withdrawal of weapons from the territory of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant would be part of an agreement between Kyiv and Moscow with the agency.