Video - Russia's humanitarian convoy heads to E. Ukraine under agreement with Kiev

Video - Russia's humanitarian convoy heads to E. Ukraine under agreement with Kiev. (RT).

Kiev says it's ready to accept the humanitarian aid being sent from Russia, after Moscow agreed to a Ukrainian presence in the convoy.

Update on Convoy by Min For AffairsLavrov.



Question: Could you please comment on the status of the delivery of Russian humanitarian relief aid to the people of southeastern Ukraine?

Sergey Lavrov: In the past few days, we have been addressing the humanitarian crisis in southeastern Ukraine, as instructed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

We drafted a plan in cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the representatives of other international organisations, including the UN and the OSCE, and the plan was finalised yesterday.

At the same time, we followed all of Ukraine’s requirements without exception, including the route suggested by Kiev, although this route is much longer than the other routes used for delivering humanitarian relief aid. Nevertheless, we have accepted the route which suits the government in Kiev, we have agreed to install Ukrainian vehicle license plates on Ukrainian territory, and we have agreed that not only representatives from the ICRC and the OSCE but also Ukrainian officials should ride in the trucks carrying the humanitarian relief consignment. Everything has been agreed. 

We have sent an official note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, requesting permission to set out, and the convoy has already set out. Today we received a note confirming that Ukraine was ready to accept this assistance. 

I hope very much that certain public statements voiced by a few officials in Kiev today that demand new terms will be disavowed, and that they will not hinder the implementation of the agreement reached between the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the ICRC. ICRC representatives will meet the convoy at the Ukrainian border and in a populated area that has been agreed with the Ukrainian authorities. They will inspect the consignment, and will ride with the convoy to its final destination, primarily in the Lugansk Region.

Question: Does anyone plan to reload the entire humanitarian relief consignment, as has been noted today?

Sergey Lavrov: The issue of reloading the consignment from all 287 trucks onto those hired by the ICRC was raised during our talks with Ukraine. For obvious reasons, they decided against this due to the added difficulty and expense. 

As I said, the consignment will be inspected at the Ukrainian port of entry. Representatives of the OSCE, the ICRC and Ukrainian authorities will ride with the convoy. I hope that there will be no complications.

Here is one important thing (we are strongly relying on the assurances given to us by the Ukrainian authorities): they guarantee the convoy’s safe passage through the territory controlled by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.

Naturally, we expect the resistance forces to act accordingly to this humanitarian project, and we have sent out certain messages to them. I am confident that there will be no mistakes on their part.

They are in an area where residents need urgent relief. It is already hard to deny this. The Western media is beginning to offer detailed coverage of the situation, although grudgingly, and to show the horrors facing the civilian population.

Just yesterday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued a new bulletin assessing the rather sad humanitarian situation in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions. Thousands of people have been killed, and thousands more wounded.

There is no electricity or drinking water, it is impossible to ensure the operation of hospitals, retirement homes and other social infrastructure facilities. Even those who previously voiced a rather restrained stance on these developments are beginning to tell the truth, although belatedly. I would like to thank the Russian journalists who have made a tremendous contribution so that the truth can, at last, resound from the various pages of newspapers, TV screens and international organisations.