IAEA seeks ceasefires, repairs to keep Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant safe, DG Grossi says

IAEA Director-General DG Grossi said the agency’s top priority at the seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is preventing a nuclear accident, and that securing temporary ceasefires to permit repairs to external power lines is essential.

Answering a question from Volodymyr Ischenko of Ukrinform, Grossi said the agency ‘‘is discussing all the time’’ with the parties and that the final outcome ‘‘will pretty much depend on these negotiations.’’ He described ongoing talks that have enabled five previous ceasefires and said the IAEA is negotiating for a sixth to allow indispensable repairs on external power lines that feed the plant.

Why it matters: The Zaporizhzhia plant has been a focal point of international concern because of its size and the potential consequences of a loss of power or damage to safety systems. Grossi said the IAEA’s work focuses on safety rather than political settlement: ‘‘Our main preoccupation is the safety of the facility and to avoid a nuclear accident there.’’

Details from the briefing: Grossi said he has held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and visited Chernobyl to discuss safety alongside other partners and with Russian interlocutors. He described the agency’s role as facilitating negotiations and urged progress on the targeted silence/truce arrangements needed to perform repairs.

Next steps: Grossi said achieving another ceasefire is necessary ‘‘to conduct some indispensable repairs on the external power lines that feed the nuclear power plant there’’ and that the IAEA ‘‘was able to achieve five already’’ and is negotiating a sixth. He did not provide a specific timetable.

The briefing closed after roughly an hour of international questions.