France, Turkey and Greece will lead “a humanitarian operation” evacuation “in the next few days” of the besieged city of Mariupol, in southern Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron announced on Friday March 25 after a European summit in Brussels.
“We are going in conjunction with Turkey and Greece to launch a humanitarian operation to evacuate all those who wish to leave Mariupol”he said, specifying that he would have to discuss the subject with Russian President Vladimir Putin “within 48 to 72 hours”.
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“I hope to be able to involve as many stakeholders as possible in this operation”continued the French president, ensuring to put “in capacity” to conduct this evacuation “in the next few days”.
Group gas purchases
Emmanuel Macron said that the “Elysée teams” had exchanged Friday with the mayor of Mariupol, “city of more than 400,000 inhabitants which today only has 150,000 inhabitants” living “in dramatic situations”. More than 2,000 civilians were killed in Mariupol, according to a latest report communicated by the town hall. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, some 100,000 people are still stranded in this strategic port on the Sea of Azov which is besieged by Russian troops.
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Emmanuel Macron also announced that the European Commission had received a mandate from EU member countries to make grouped gas purchases. “Group purchasing, the ability to define long-term contracts together, is the best instrument to bring down the price of our gas and therefore we have given the Commission a mandate to do so”on the model of grouped purchases of anti-Covid vaccines, he specified, while the war in Ukraine is causing energy prices to soar.