Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to send an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team to inspect the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, according to the presidential office. French. In a phone conversation between the two leaders on Friday, Putin agreed that the mission should go through Ukraine and not Russia, which is what Kyiv and its Western partners want. Both leaders also agreed to have discussions before sending an inspection mission. Macron's call to his Russian counterpart was justified by the serious safety risk to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is subject to combat activities, a French presidential official told reporters at a briefing. Macron, who last called Putin in May, has been heavily criticized in the past for holding diplomatic talks with the Russian leader despite his decision to invade Ukraine.