Zelensky criticizes the “silence” of Europe in the face of the catastrophe in Mariupol

the president of UkraineVolodymyr Zelensky criticized Europe for “react silently in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe in the city of Mariupol, in the south of the country, caused by the Russian bombardment and siege.

It is estimated that some 160,000 citizens have been living poorly for more than a month without basic services in Mariupol, a port on the Sea of ​​Azov that has become the main objective of Russian troops in Ukraine for its strategic position between the Crimean peninsula and the Donbas.

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“Europe has no right to react silently to what is happening in our Mariupol. The whole world must react to this humanitarian catastrophe.” denounced Zelensky in his late-night address this Friday released by the presidency.

Mariúpol, where some of the attacks that human rights organizations denounce as possible war crimes have taken place, have been in short supply of water and food for weeks, and there is no electricity or heating supply.

Zelensky said that this Friday the humanitarian corridors worked in three regions: Donetsk, Lugansk and Zaporizhia, and that 6,266 people were rescued. In particular, 3,071 people from Mariupol.

The Ukrainian president reported that they are trying to agree separately on the withdrawal of the wounded and dead from the city, and that they are speaking with Turkey as a mediator.

The team from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) sent this Friday to Mariupol to facilitate the evacuation of civilians, it could not reach the besieged town and had to return to its starting point in Zaporiya, so it will try the operation again tomorrow.

The organization indicated in a statement that the conditions “made it impossible to proceed” to the team, made up of three vehicles and nine CRIC staff members, whose mission was to escort buses with evacuated people through a humanitarian corridor.

Zelensky Hours earlier, he had asked his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to intercede with Moscow to achieve a ceasefire in Mariupol “long enough” to achieve an evacuation of the city and the relevant humanitarian operations.

Zelensky indicated on Twitter that “The French initiative on humanitarian corridors in Mariupol must be implemented.”

On the other hand, Zelensky accused the Russian Federation of violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime for trying to take people to the army in Crimea. “And it is also an argument for increasing sanctions against Russia”, said.

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The Ukrainian president therefore urged the people of Crimea to sabotage this Russian decision. “And if it doesn’t work, don’t carry out criminal orders and turn yourself in to the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the earliest opportunity.”

Zelensky also denounced that in southern regions of Ukraine where Russian troops had temporarily entered name some “temporary leaders” and threaten employees of companies and authorities to cooperate with these “deceived appointees”.

He warned that in eastern Ukraine the situation remainsextremely difficult. The Russian army is trapped in Donbas, heading towards Kharkov. They are preparing for new powerful blows. We are preparing for an even more active defense.”

Zelensky thanked the visit to kyiv this Friday to the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Mezzola, with whom he spoke, according to what he said, “On how to accelerate the accession of Ukraine to the European Union”.

He also tried a policy of sanctions “deeper vs. Russia. Because if there is an embargo, then an embargo. If it is SWIFT, then for all banks. And when it comes to doing business with Russiait is not just about a suspension of activities, but about the complete withdrawal of European companies from the Russian market”.

Source: Elcomercio

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