Ukraine war Russia, humanitarian corridors open from today. The ceasefire to allow the evacuation of civilians from Kiev, Chernihiv, Sumy will start at 10 am Moscow time (8 am in Italy). This was reported, reported by TASS, the interdepartmental coordination headquarters of the Russian Federation.
The news of the humanitarian corridors was made known by the Russian delegation present at yesterday’s third round of negotiations, which lasted three hours. “The Ukrainians have given us assurances, we hope that the humanitarian corridors will be open from tomorrow (today ed)”, said the head of the Russian delegation, former Russian Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky, expressing disappointment on the progress of the negotiations. “Our expectations have not come true,” he said, according to Gazeta.ru. The Russian delegation presented the Ukrainians with a draft agreement document.
Of “small but positive” steps to improve the logistics of humanitarian corridors from besieged cities, Mykhailo Podolyak, of the Ukrainian negotiating team, spoke at the end of the third round of talks with the Russian delegation. On the other hand, there is no news regarding the conflict. “As for the political aspect, which includes a ceasefire and an end to hostilities in general, intensive consultations continue,” he added.
A fourth round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will be held “in the very short future”, anticipated the President of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Duma, and member of the Moscow delegation to negotiations, Leonid Slutsky. The next round will be held again in Belarus, he added, speaking on Russian television. “I do not yet say the exact date, which will perhaps be defined tomorrow (today ed)”, he limited himself to specifying.
Russia is ready to stop hostilities “at any moment” if Kiev respects the conditions set by Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday morning, quoted by TASS. The requests from Moscow are always the same, reiterated by Putin in the phone call to the President of the European Council Charles Michel, regarding what is called the “denazification and demilitarization” of Ukraine, the recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea and of independence of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.
The first two rounds of negotiations, also hosted by Belarus, were held on February 28 and March 2. According to reports from TASS, in another statement to Russia-24, Russian negotiator Leonid Slutsky said that “during the second round, the Ukrainian side showed negotiating skills”. “They realize that the life of the population is at stake, this is our common priority,” he added.
Zelensky
“In the south of the country we saw such an amount of ‘Ukrainianness’ that we had never seen before. They hit an old bakery, a church from the 1800s. Why? Humanitarian corridors keep them only in the direction of their country for a few dozen people. Because? Just to make a scene, to have them filmed by cameras and to tell how they saved the population. What cynicism “. Thus Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a new video on social media.” I’m staying in Kiev, I don’t hide and I’m not afraid “, he said again adding:” How much it takes to win this war! “.
Negotiations with Russia will continue until a result is reached in the agreement, the Ukrainian president said. “Today (yesterday ed) the third round of negotiations took place in Belarus, I would like to say the third and the last, but let’s be realistic. Therefore, we will speak, we will insist on negotiations until we find a way to say to our people: ‘it is so that we will come to peace, ‘”he said. The video shows Zelensky in his office in Kiev and it is the first time since the Russian invasion began on February 24. Looking out the window, the Ukrainian president says: “I’m staying in Kiev. In My office. I’m not hiding. And I’m not afraid of anyone “.
Draghi-Scholz phone call
Last night the Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, had a telephone conversation with the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, focusing on the situation on the ground in Ukraine, on the European response in humanitarian and sanctioning terms and on the consequences in the energy sector. of the current crisis. The two leaders, according to a statement, have agreed to keep in close contact in the coming days also in view of the informal summit scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
Telefonata Biden-Macron-Macron-Scholz-Johnson
Leaders from the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom reaffirmed their “determination to continue increasing the costs on Russia for its unwarranted and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine”. This is what we read in a note released by the White House after the phone call between Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Boris Johnson. The four leaders “also underlined their commitment to continue providing economic, humanitarian and security assistance to Ukraine and discussed their respective talks with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents”.