The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency met Russian president Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (11 October) to try to get a deal on creating a safety and security protection zone around the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in southern Ukraine.

“Now more than ever ... a protection zone must be established,” Rafael Grossi, director-general of the UN nuclear watchdog, said in a statement. “We can’t afford to lose any more time. The stakes are high. We must do everything in our power to help ensure that a nuclear accident does not happen during this tragic conflict, as it could cause even more hardship and suffering in Ukraine and beyond.”

Putin told Grossi that Moscow is “happy to discuss all the issues that are of mutual interest to us,” according to Russia’s state-controlled Tass news agency, adding that the situation around the plant was “a concern” for the Kremlin.