Ukraine vows to block Russian ‘aid’ convoy
A convoy of 262 Russian trucks is rolling toward the Ukrainian border as Kyiv vowed to block the aid mission from its territory over fears it was a ploy to bolster pro-Kremlin rebels.
The convoy of what Russia says is humanitarian aid has sparked fears of an escalation in a conflict that has left hundreds dead in eastern Ukraine in recent months and plunged Moscow’s ties with the West to their lowest point in decades.
France warned Tuesday that Russia could use the operation as ‘a cover’ for sending in troops, echoing earlier concerns from Washington, Berlin and London.
Kyiv said the trucks would be stopped at the border for any aid to be unloaded and transported into conflict-torn eastern Ukraine with the help of the Red Cross.
‘We will not allow (the aid) to be accompanied by the Russian ministry for emergency situations or by Russian troops,’ said Valeriy Chalyy, deputy head of the presidential administration.
However Moscow was adamant the convoy would reach its destination, calling for ‘maximum cooperation’ from Ukraine to ensure the aid was delivered to the besieged rebel strongholds of Lugansk and Donetsk.
The convoy left Moscow on Tuesday for eastern Ukraine carrying 2000 tonnes of ‘humanitarian supplies,’ including medical equipment, baby food and sleeping bags, Russian media reported.
As fierce fighting continued in the industrial east, Ukraine’s military said six servicemen had been killed and 31 were wounded in the past 24 hours.
Fighting between government forces and pro-Moscow rebels pushed Ukraine’s currency, the hryvnia, to a historic low, trading at 13.14 against the dollar, although the central bank insisted this was only a ‘temporary trend’.
Russia has been pressing for a humanitarian mission to the east, where four months of fierce battles have left cities without power, running water or fuel, and with dwindling food supplies.
Kyiv has said it will only accept aid as part of a broader international mission involving Europe and the US under the supervision of the Red Cross.
The US on Tuesday backed Ukraine’s demand for the convoy to go through border checks to clear up concerns Moscow is seeking to support rebels.
‘Russia has no right to move into Ukraine unilaterally, whether under the guise of humanitarian convoys or any other pretext, without Kyiv’s permission,’ State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters.
Moscow has insisted it is working with the Red Cross and that the convoy would not include military personnel.
Adding to the confusion, the International Committee of the Red Cross said no green light had been given for an aid mission.
‘We still need to get some more information before we can move ahead,’ ICRC spokeswoman Anastasia Isyuk told AFP in Geneva.
French President Francois Hollande said he had ‘grave concerns’ about the mission which his Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warned ‘could be a cover by the Russians to set themselves up near Donetsk and Lugansk and declare a fait accompli.’