According to a Russian news agency, Moscow once again proposed to set up a humanitarian corridor from major Ukrainian cities, mainly connecting Russia and Belarus, starting at 9 am local time.
Citizens departing from the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv, Chernihiv and Kharkov were scheduled to travel to Russia via Belarus, according to Interfax. The outlet quoted a statement from the Russian Olympic Committee, which is responsible for humanitarian coordination in Ukraine.
The day after Kyiv rejected Russia’s offer to establish a humanitarian corridor leading to the same country. The announcement on Monday was Russia’s third attempt to build a humanitarian corridor in Ukraine, in the midst of reports that its troops had violated a previous ceasefire.
Russian troops said Monday morning that humanitarian corridors would open in the cities of Kyiv, Kharkov, Smy and Mariupol from 10 am Moscow time.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the proposal to evacuate Ukrainian citizens to what they described as “occupied territories” in Russia and Belarus.
“This is an unacceptable option for creating a humanitarian corridor. [only in Russia and Belarus].. Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk also said in a video statement.
A Zelensky spokesman called the move “totally immoral” and said Russia was trying to exploit the propaganda situation by “using people’s suffering to create television images.”
“They are Ukrainian citizens and they should have the right to evacuate to Ukrainian territory,” a spokesman told Reuters.
On Tuesday’s proposal, people leaving the cities of Smee and Mariupol could leave for the Russian or Ukrainian cities of Poltava and Zaporizhia, Interfax reported.
Interfax said Ukraine was given to agree to the terms until 3 am Moscow time. Ukrainian authorities.
UN Ambassador to the United Nations Security Council said on Tuesday that Russia had “weakened the arrangement” of the humanitarian corridor and claimed that all routes would pass through Russia or Belarus.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov outlined four conditions that Ukraine must meet in order to cease military operations in the country.
He told Reuters on Monday that Russia would suspend Ukraine’s military operations, amend its constitution to enshrine neutrality, recognize Crimean as Russian territory, and recognize the separatist republics of Donets’k and Lugansk as independent territories. He said he was demanding that. He said Russia was ready to stop military operations “immediately” in Ukraine if Kyiv met the requirements.
In an interview with ABC News, Zelensky said the requirement was equivalent to an “ultimatum.”
“We are not ready for the ultimatum, but there are possible and possible solutions for these three important items,” Zelensky said. “What you have to do is for the president [Vladimir] Putin begins talking instead of living in an oxygen-free information bubble. “
Reuters contributed to this report.
follow
Isabel van Brugen is an award-winning journalist and currently a news reporter for The Epoch Times. She holds a Master’s degree in Newspaper Journalism from City University of London.