Lavrov: Ukraine ready to accept Russia’s humanitarian aid
The Russian Foreign Ministry has received a note from the Ukrainian government expressing its readiness to accept the Russian humanitarian aid. The news came as Moscow agreed on the Ukrainian presence in the humanitarian convoy.
The arrangements for the humanitarian aid convoy have been
completely agreed upon, with all of Kyiv’s wishes taken into
account, including the route, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov told reporters at a press conference in Sochi.
“We have agreed on a route convenient for the Kyiv
authorities. We agreed that our trucks would have Ukrainian
number plates during their way through Ukrainian territory. We
also agreed to take on board not only the representatives of the
Red Cross and the OSCE, but also representatives of the Ukrainian
authorities,” Lavrov said.
“The convoy has set off,” he added. “We have
received a note with the confirmation of the Ukrainian side’s
readiness to receive the aid.”
Earlier, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military said that Kyiv
intended to hold up the internationally-supervised aid convoy
meant for the Ukraine’s east for at least a week. Ukraine said
the time was needed for the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) to establish where exactly the aid should go.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has abandoned the idea to reload the aid from
Russian trucks onto Red Cross transport after a search at the
border, according to Lavrov said.
“They raised the question of reloading the aid from all 287
trucks onto the trucks rented by the Red Cross, but, for obvious
reasons, abandoned this idea, because it would only complicate
and make the implementation of this humanitarian action more
expensive,” the Russian FM said.
“I count a lot on the hope that public statements made by
some Kyiv authorities with the demand for new conditions will be
disavowed and won’t interfere with the accomplishment of the
agreements reached between Russia, Ukraine and the Red
Cross,” he added.
Lavrov stressed that Kyiv is guaranteeing the safety of the
convoy.
“We firmly rely on the assurances by the Ukrainian
authorities. They are guaranteeing the safety of the whole
convoy’s movement on the territory controlled by the Ukrainian
special forces,” he said.
Russia is also counting on the anti-government forces to ensure
security. The self-defense troops in eastern Ukraine have already
been informed:
“We expect the self-defense forces to express the same
attitude toward this humanitarian action. I’m sure there’ll be no
breaches, as they are now on the territory, the residents of
which require badly humanitarian assistance,” Lavrov stated.
The truth about events in eastern Ukraine has started to appear
in the Western media, Lavrov said, and thanked Russian
journalists for the contribution they have made in covering these
events.
“Western media are beginning, although unwillingly, to cover
the situation in detail, showing all the horrors experienced by
the civilian population,” Lavrov said.