Believing the IAEA's Mission to Matter, President Zelensky: We're Doing Everything to Ensure IAEA Access

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky assessed that the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant could still play an important role, despite the difficulty of access due to Russia's presence there.

"We are doing everything we can to ensure that the IAEA will gain access to the Zaporizhzhia plant. I believe that this mission may still have a role to play," President Zelensky said in a video broadcast at The European House.

Earlier, Ukraine's state nuclear company Energoatom said on Friday the IAEA mission was not allowed to enter the plant's crisis center, where Ukraine says Russian troops are stationed, and would struggle to make an impartial assessment of the situation.

"Unfortunately we haven't heard the main thing from the IAEA, namely a call to Russia to demilitarize the station," President Zelensky said.

"I hope that the mission will live up to what we have agreed on, and that it will serve the interests of the entire international community," he hoped.

President Zelensky added, saying ensuring the Zaporizhzhia plant resumes operations safely and remains connected to the country's power grid, will help Ukraine to act against Europe's energy crisis.

"Ukraine is ready to increase its electricity exports to EU countries," he said, adding that currently Ukraine could export enough to meet at least 8 percent of Italy's consumption.