IAEA backs Ukraine’s Khmelnytskyi NPP expansion

President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on the outcome of the meeting with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

The president spoke in his address to the nation, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.

"I am grateful that the IAEA Director supported the Ukrainian strategy for completion of nuclear units at the Khmelnytskyi NPP. The completion project is key to Ukraine's energy independence and energy stability in the region, and it’s important that Ukrainian MPs support the project. We discussed the situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant in detail: it is necessary to restore legal Ukrainian control, real operation of the plant in Ukraine, and for Ukraine," he said.

Zelensky noted that Ukraine invites partners to work jointly to this end. According to the president, this is energy, which will make Europe much stronger and relations with America – more mutually beneficial.

The President added that IAEA missions are currently deployed at nuclear power plants across Ukraine, and during the meeting the parties agreed that "the missions will work more actively at other critical energy facilities".

Also, according to Zelensky, the topic was Ukrainians from the ZNPP host town of Enerhodar, who had been taken hostage by Russian invaders.

"We expect that the IAEA will be active in working toward the release of these Ukrainian citizens," the head of state said.