Putin ordered Ukrainian troops in Mariupol to lay down their weapons

“To solve the difficult humanitarian situation in this city, the Ukrainian nationalist fighters must stop resisting and lay down their arms,” ​​the Kremlin quoted President Vladimir Putin as saying in a phone call with his counterpart. France Emmanuel Macron on the evening of March 30, according to the Guardian newspaper.

The Kremlin announcement added that, Mr. Putin provided Mr. Macron with “detailed information on the measures taken by the Russian military to provide urgent humanitarian assistance and ensure the safe evacuation” of civilians from Mariupol.

A gunman of pro-Russian separatists walks past a destroyed apartment building in Mariupol on March 30. Photo: Reuters

According to Paris officials, the Russian president’s announcement came after he agreed to review a French plan to evacuate citizens from the southern Ukrainian city. France, along with Turkey, Greece and several humanitarian groups have submitted to the Russian President a plan to evacuate Mariupol.

On the same day, March 30, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced cease-fire order today (March 31) to allow civilians to evacuate from Mariupol. A humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, through the Russian-controlled port of Berdiansk, will open from 10 am on 31 March (ie 2 pm Hanoi time).

“For this humanitarian operation to be successful, we propose to do it with the direct participation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),” the announcement said. said by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Moscow also asked Kiev to ensure “unconditional respect” for the ceasefire through written notice to the Russian side, UNHCR and ICRC before 6 am (ie 10 am Hanoi time) on 31. /3.

The Ukrainian military is also required to commit to the security of bus convoys along the newly established humanitarian corridor. The Russian Defense Ministry also said it had agreed to a proposal from Kiev to open four new humanitarian corridors from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia in the past 24 hours.

An estimated 160,000 people are still trapped in Mariupol as the city has been besieged by Russian troops for weeks now. The situation of the people here is increasingly difficult as they have to live in conditions of lack of heat, electricity, water and food.

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