IAEA: In the event of peace in Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant needs a cooperation agreement

Rafael Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that a peace agreement would require a special status for Zaporizhzhia and an agreement on cooperation between Russia and Ukraine.

In the first few weeks of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces captured the plant, Europe’s largest with its six reactors. Although the plant does not produce electricity, both sides accuse each other of military action that compromises nuclear safety.

He said that "whatever the outcome, you'll need to have a collaborative arrangement or a co-operative atmosphere."

Grossi's remarks come at a time when the Trump administration is making a new, intense push to end war.

U.S. officials and Ukrainian officials try to close the gap between them on a draft plan of peace that includes provisions regarding Zaporizhzhia’s future.

Grossi warned that a nuclear disaster is possible without peace.

In an interview, he stated that "until the war ends or there is ceasefire, or the guns have been silenced, something could go very, very badly."

"No operator can operate a nuclear plant if across the river is another country that is resisting and could take action."

According to a draft of the U.S. backed 28-point plan for Ukraine seen by, it proposes restarting the nuclear plant under IAEA oversight, with the electricity output being split equally between Russia, and Ukraine. Grossi stated that Ukraine and Russia would decide at some point whether the plant was to be shared or not. "But it is obvious that the IAEA will be indispensable in this situation."

Since 2022, the six reactors in Zaporizhzhia have been cold-shutdown. They rely on external powerlines and emergency systems to avoid a blackout. IAEA continues to maintain a presence on the site in order to monitor safety despite ongoing shelling.