Putin Open To IAEA International Mission To Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant

Substantive developments hitting wires follow the call between French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier today.

• According to Reuters, France is prepared to support a planned IAEA mission to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, "technically" and "politically."
• According to the Elysee Palace, Putin told Macron that he agrees to an IAEA inspection and will consider dropping a demand that any international mission to the nuclear facility must approach via Russia.
• The Elysee Palace says that the call between Macron and Putin was "justified by the necessity to preserve Europe's nuclear safety."
• An international mission to the plant is considered critical to limit the risk of a nuclear accident. The facility has been under Russian control since March and has sustained heavy shelling from both Russian and Ukrainian forces. Military operations around the facility have left the plant isolated from international inspection and cut of from spare parts and repairs.
• A secondary concern, raised by Kyiv, is that Russia allegedly plans to either shut down the facility of decouple it from the Ukrainian grid.
• UN Sec-Gen Antonio Guterres said said today that the plant's electricity "is Ukrainian electricity" and this principle must be respected by Russia.
• Tass cites a Russian diplomat saying that Russia has submitted a letter to the UN Security Council over Ukrainian "provocations" at Zaporizhzhia.