PARIS, September 11. /TASS/. The presidents of France and Ukraine Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Zelensky held talks and discussed the situation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, the Elysee Palace said on Saturday.

"The situation around the Zaporozhye NPP continues to be of serious concern. They expressed support for the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The presidents of the two countries demanded a withdrawal of Russian troops from this area in order to guarantee the safety and security of nuclear installations," the statement said.

Macron asked Zelensky about the status of hostilities and "the needs of Ukraine that France could meet."

The IAEA on Tuesday published a report calling for an establishment of a safety zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant to prevent accidents arising from hostilities. Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzia said a demilitarization wouldn’t ensure the security of the plant, but would put it at risk of provocations by Ukrainian forces. According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, Russia is studying the report on the IAEA mission to the ZNPP, but will take time to respond to its proposals.

Ukrainian forces have been regularly shelling the ZNPP with heavy weapons recently and tried to launch an assault from near the reservoir.