Russian and French Leaders Discuss Ukraine Conflict

French President Emmanuel Macron started the conversation in which Russian leader Vladimir Putin warned of a radiation spill due to the "systematic shelling of the territory of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant by the Ukrainian military."

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The Kremlin said both leaders agreed on the need to send an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to assess the situation in the Zaporozhye area as soon as possible.   

This time, the Russian side agreed that the Agency's mission could travel through territory currently under Kiev forces' control, the Elysee Palace. Russia had earlier said the IAEA delegation could only move through territory controlled by Russia.   

Following discussions by technical teams, the French and Russian sides will return to the issue within the next few days.

Putin and Macron talk by phone about the situation in Ukraine. They highlighted sending a mission from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the nuclear plant.

The Kremlin also said Putin insisted on inviting international experts to visit a prison facility in Yelenovka, in the Donetsk People's Republic, which Russia says Kiev forces attacked last month, killing 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war and wounding dozens more.

As for the agreement for Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea, negotiated by the UN and Turkey, the Russian president told Macron that there are still obstacles preventing Russian grain from reaching world markets. This is detrimental to global food security, the Kremlin said.

The last phone conversation between the presidents was held on May 28. On that occasion, Putin said Russia was open to brokering an end to the conflict, accused Ukraine of stalling peace talks, and condemned the West's supply of arms to Kiev.