Russia’s Defense Ministry has sent an official letter to Ukraine asking for an ultimatum, demanding that Ukrainian troops lay down their arms and leave Mariupol. Only then will Russia agree to the evacuation of civilians in Mariupol, the letter said.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk has emphasized that there can be no question of meeting Russia’s demands.
“There are eight pages going back to history and other nightmares. They sent the same letter to the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and hoped that international bodies would react and start putting pressure on Ukraine. That did not happen. The International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN understand that it is Russia’s manipulation and hostage-taking, “Vereshchuk said in a commentary on the Ukrainian pravda portal.
“There can be no question of any surrender, no laying down of arms. We have already told the Russian side about it. I wrote:” Instead of spending time on an eight-page letter, just open the humanitarian corridor, “Vereshchuk said.
Petro Andrushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, said that representatives of the Russian troops had asked the mayor of Mariupol to switch to the Russian side and would wait for a response until Monday morning.
Andrushchenko has ruled out a positive response to this ultimatum.
“And why wait so long if the answer is ready in advance. H * j to you, but not to Mariupol,” Mariupol’s mayor advised on Facebook.
The municipality of Mariupol has also informed that civilians are being forcibly deported to Russia from areas of the city controlled by Russian troops.
It has been condemned by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry for comparing the deportation of such people with the actions of Nazi Germany during World War II.
“First they came to destroy cities, bomb hospitals, theaters, schools, kill civilians and children. Then they forcibly moved the frightened, exhausted people to the land of the invader. A department from World War II? No, the actions of the Russian army in Mariupol today,” Twitter said. recorded by the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko.
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