Kyiv, Mar 19: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday told his Russia counterpart Vladimir Putin that it is time to talk “without delay”.
In a video message, he said, “I want everyone to hear me now, especially I want them to hear me in Moscow. It’s time to meet, time to talk, time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine, or else Russia will face such losses that several generations will not be enough for it to rise back up.
“Negotiations on peace, on security for us, for Ukraine – meaningful, fair and without delay – are the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes..
“Otherwise, Russia’s losses will be such that you will need several generations to recover.”
He further said that there were seven humanitarian corridors in Ukraine, of which six in Sumy and one in Donetsk.
Though more than 9,000 people have so far been evacuated from the besieged Mariupol, the “occupiers continue to block the supply of humanitarian aid to the besieged cities in most areas. This is a totally deliberate tactic.
They have a clear order to do absolutely everything to make the humanitarian catastrophe in Ukrainian cities an ‘argument’ for Ukrainians to cooperate with the occupiers. This is a war crime,” he pointed out.
Speaking on the attack on theatre in Mariupol, he said, “Some of them are seriously wounded. But at the moment there is no information about the dead.”
The Russian forces have halted across many areas of the country but heavy fighting continues n the Kharkiv region, especially near Izyum, The Guardian quoted the President as saying.
He also said that he would continue to appeal to world leaders to call for peace in Ukraine, with plans to address Switzerland, Italy, Israel and Japan.
(UNI)
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