France's Macron urges Putin to withdraw Russian forces from besieged nuclear plant

Russian forces should withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant immediately, French President Emmanuel Macron told Vladimir Putin on Sunday.

A Russian serviceman patrols the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in Energodar on May 1, 2022.  (ANDREY BORODULIN/AFP via Getty Images) IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and fellow officials try to negotiate access to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region. (International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) /Handout via REUTERS ) A Ukrainian Emergency Ministry rescuer attends an exercise in the city of Zaporizhzhia on August 17, 2022, in case of a possible nuclear incident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant located near the city.  (DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images) Paul Best is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Paul.best@fox.com and on Twitter: @KincaidBest. 

Macron sided with Kyiv in his call with Putin, according to a readout from the Elysee Palace. 

"[Macron] recalled that the Russian occupation was the cause of the risks weighing today on the integrity of the Zaporizhzhia power plant," the French president told Putin. "He asked that the Russian forces withdraw their heavy and light weapons and that the recommendations of the IAEA be followed up to ensure the safety of the site."