The Russian representative in the talks between Moscow and Kiev accused Ukraine on Monday March 7 of preventing the evacuation of civilians from combat zones, assuring that the establishment of humanitarian corridors will be discussed during new negotiations scheduled for Monday.
Read alsoUkraine: Paris says it has not asked for the opening of humanitarian corridors to Russia and Belarus
“Nationalists who have taken up positions in cities continue to retain civilians there and use them directly and indirectly, including as human shields, which is of course a war crime.“, said Vladimir Medinsky on Russian public television.
A third round of talks is scheduled for Monday between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Belarus, in a locality near the Polish border. According to the TASS and Belta news agencies, the Ukrainian negotiators arrived on site around 13:30 GMT. During their previous meeting last Thursday, in the midst of the Russian offensive against Ukraine, the two parties only agreed on the establishment of humanitarian corridors. But all attempts to evacuate civilians in a coordinated fashion have so far failed.
Read alsoRussian negotiator accuses Ukraine of blocking ‘humanitarian corridors’, a ‘war crime’
On Monday, Moscow proposed the opening of six humanitarian corridors, including four going to Belarus and Russia, an option rejected by Kiev which calls for civilians to be able to choose where to go. The corridors proposed by Moscow concerned the evacuation of the cities of Kiev, Mariupol, Kharkiv and Sumy, all plagued by intense bombardments which killed civilians. Two previous attempts to evacuate civilian populations from Mariupoul, a strategic port surrounded by Russian forces, have also failed, with each side accusing each other of violating the conditions of the evacuation.
French President Emmanuel Macron denounced and rejected the formula proposed by Moscow on Monday. “Russia pleads to make humanitarian corridors to Russia” corn “I don’t know many Ukrainians who want to take refuge in Russia. It’s a hypocrisy, a communication artifact that I condemn“, reacted the head of state on the LCI channel.