Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk reported Monday that her government had rejected a Russian proposal to lay down arms in the port city of Mariupol in order to establish a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of civilians and the safe exit of those soldiers over their weapons. .
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Vereshuk told local media: “We cannot talk about handing over weapons. We have already reported this to the Russian side,” while calling Moscow’s demands a real hostagetaking.
Earlier on Sunday, Moscow sent a letter to the highest Ukrainian authorities demanding that the nationalists lay down their arms to end the humanitarian crisis in that city.
�������� Ukraine has informed Russia that they will not surrender Mariupol and that their forces will not surrender. https://t.co/ThTyxMLwvb
— Deciphering War (@descifraguerra)
March 21, 2022
In this regard, the head of the Russian National Center for Defense Management Mikhail Mizintsev emphasized that “we insist on the official written response of the Ukrainian side before March 21 at 05:00 on all evacuation proposals listed for their country , purely human and on that geared to saving the residents of Mariupol and the city’s infrastructure”.
To this he added a call for “the official authorities in Kyiv to be cautious and rescind previous orders that forced the militants to sacrifice themselves and become ‘Martyrs of Mariupol’.
In this regard, the senior military official called on the nationalists, as well as units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the socalled Territorial Defense, to lay down their arms and leave the city for the territory controlled by Kyiv. “All those who have laid down their arms are guaranteed a safe exit from Mariupol and the preservation of their lives,” he said.
According to Russian Defense Ministry estimates, about 130,000 civilians and 184 foreign nationals are currently in this city hit by the humanitarian crisis and are being held “hostage” by the nationalists.
Therefore, the senior official stated that from 09:00 this Monday, by mutual agreement with the Ukrainian authorities, humanitarian corridors will be opened in the east and west directions.
Mízintsev added that the ceasefire will come into force only after all parties involved in the conflict have confirmed through communication channels their readiness to implement it.
Likewise, Mizintsev also addressed the selfappointed representatives of the Mariupol local authorities, who are “under the complete control of nationalist battalions, and urged them to choose whether to be with their people or with the bandits.
“Otherwise, the courtmartial that awaits them is only a small part of what they deserve for their despicable attitude towards their own citizens and for the horrific crimes and provocations they have committed: attacking a kindergarten, two schools, a maternity hospital, a theater building and much more,” he said.