VIENNA: UN atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi will head to Russia Tuesday for a fresh round of talks with President Vladimir Putin to discuss “the future operational status” of Ukraine’s Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Europe’s largest nuclear plant has been at the center of fighting since it was captured by Russian forces in March 2022, with both Moscow and Kyiv frequently accusing each other of compromising its safety.
Grossi last met Putin in Saint Petersburg in October 2022 to discuss safety issues involving the Zaporizhzhia facility.
“I think it is very important that we keep this high-level dialogue with both belligerents,” Grossi — who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — told reporters Monday.
The IAEA chief said he hoped to discuss “technical points” with Putin and get “an impression of what the plans” for the plant are.
“There are issues related to the future operational status of the plant,” Grossi said when asked about the topics he intends to raise.
Russian Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also confirmed the talks.
Grossi has visited Ukraine several times to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior officials.
The IAEA chief said he also hopes to address the nuclear plant’s “extremely fragile and thin” external power supply lines, after the facility suffered a complete loss of off-site power multiple times during bouts of fighting in the past two years.
Fears over the plant’s safety have persisted throughout Russia’s invasion, with the IAEA warning that powerful explosions and mine blasts near the plant indicated “possible combat action” that were of “deep concern.”
Grossi has called for “maximum military restraint” around the plant “to reduce the danger of a nuclear accident.”
The UN nuclear watchdog has also voiced concerned about a possible shortage of staff at the Zaporizhzhia plant.
Since February, workers from Ukraine’s atomic energy operator Energoatom who refused to sign contracts with the Russian operating entity have been barred from working at the plant.
IAEA officials have been on the ground monitoring the plant since September 2022.
The plant’s six reactor units, which produced around a fifth of Ukraine’s electricity before Russia’s full-scale invasion, have been shut down.
IAEA chief to hold talks with Putin about Ukraine nuclear plant
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IAEA chief to hold talks with Putin about Ukraine nuclear plant
- Grossi last met Putin in Saint Petersburg in October 2022 to discuss safety issues involving the Zaporizhzhia facility
- The IAEA chief said he hoped to discuss “technical points” with Putin
Funding gaps threaten lives of 1.9 mn displaced in South Sudan: UN
- IOM said humanitarian needs were dramatically outstripping resources in one of the world’s most displacement-affected countries
- “Critical funding shortfalls are putting the lives of over 1.9 million displaced people in South Sudan at risk“
GENEVA: The lives of more than 1.9 million displaced people in South Sudan are being put at risk due to aid funding shortages, the UN’s migration agency said Wednesday.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said humanitarian needs were dramatically outstripping resources in one of the world’s most displacement-affected countries.
“Critical funding shortfalls are putting the lives of over 1.9 million displaced people in South Sudan at risk,” the agency said in a statement.
South Sudan, the world’s newest sovereign country, has been beset by civil war, poverty and massive corruption since it was formed in 2011.
South Sudan is grappling with new arrivals fleeing the conflict in neighboring Sudan, while dealing with its own displacement caused by years of conflict, flooding and instability, the IOM said.
The agency said that since the war in Sudan erupted in April 2023, more than 1.3 million people had crossed into South Sudan — two-thirds of them being South Sudanese returnees.
The IOM said this had put “immense pressure” on border communities, and the country’s overstretched services and fragile infrastructure.
“South Sudan is carrying an extraordinary burden, and funding shortfalls risk undermining progress toward durable solutions for millions,” said Ugochi Daniels, the IOM’s deputy director general for operations.
“Displaced families and host communities are trying to rebuild their lives, but the strain is real. Without sustained support and progress toward peace, these communities could face renewed instability and displacement.”
The IOM said its 2026 response plan was $29 million short.
The United States was the biggest contributor to the UN but has slashed its foreign aid funding since President Donald Trump returned to power in January 2025 — while other countries have also tightened their belts.
There has been rising violence in recent weeks between supporters of South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival Riek Machar — much of it centered on Jonglei state where at least 280,000 people have been displaced, according to the UN.
The conflict in has largely pitted the two largest ethnic groups against each other — the Dinka aligned mostly with Kiir, and the Nuer mostly with Machar.
