Unblocking Azovstal and evacuating people from Mariupol: Zelensky about only positive in talks with russia
Photo: OPU
The only positive aspect of the talks with russia is that people from Mariupol and civilians and soldiers from Azovstal were evacuated.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated this during the Ukrainian breakfast in Davos, in which he participated via video.
"The only positive thing—if we can say that it's positive—is that the parties have started talking about unblocking Azovstal and removing people from Mariupol.
We took out civilians first and then seriously wounded people out of the Azovstal plant.
So I believe there was at least some positive that the talks have allowed us to take these people out," said the President.
Zelensky noted that both the UN and the Red Cross International Committee were involved, "everyone helped as much as they could, and that's why there was one result or another."
The future of the talks with russia is unknown.
The President added that he didn't see any interest on the part of the aggressor country in the negotiations and didn't see any significant points.
"At first, we felt that we could talk about a result. But so far, I don't see any steps—not just powerful ones, but no steps—and the results. I consider it a delay.
But we're against any artificial agreements without real confirmation with a reasonable circle of partner countries ready to be Ukraine's security guarantors. There's nothing to talk about without serious, powerful partners," Zelensky stressed.
Reference
Russian troops have blocked Mariupol since March 1, 2022.
Since the end of April, Mariupol defenders have been blocked at the Azovstal plant.
These are representatives of the Azov National Guard regiment, marines, border guards, and police.
The Marines asked for "extraction," and Azov fighters asked at least to evacuate wounded soldiers.
The UN, Red Cross, and volunteers evacuated civilians in early May, but russia has long rejected all options for evacuating the fighters.
On May 16, the russians continued to try to enter the plant or block the exit from Azovstal bunkers. They then said they had agreed with Ukrainian defenders to remove wounded soldiers from the occupied territories.
Ukraine's Armed Forces General Staff stated that the Mariupol garrison had fulfilled its combat mission, and now the commanders received an order to save the lives of the personnel.
On May 20, the russian defense ministry announced that they had withdrawn all Azovstal fighters and that 2,439 people, whom the russians consider prisoners of war, had left the bunkers since May 16.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Mariupol defenders should be released in exchange and returned home.
