They will not surrender without a fight. Ukrainian soldiers entrenched in the besieged city of Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, “will fight to the end”, assured the Ukrainian Prime Minister on Sunday 17 April. They thus ignore the ultimatum imposed by the Russian forces and which expired at midday. Moscow had offered them to “voluntarily lay down their arms and surrender in order to save their lives”. The port city would represent a strategic take for Russia.
Volodymyr Zelensky offered Emmanuel Macron to go to Ukraine
“JI wanted him to understand that this is not a war, that it is nothing but a genocide”, he said in an interview with CNN. The French President has so far refused to use the term genocide. His American counterpart Joe Biden has already refused to visit the country, which Volodymyr Zelensky described as “very hurtful”.
Russian army bombs the city of Kharkiv
At least five people were killed and 13 injured in a series of Russian bombardments on the city of Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, according to the emergency services to AFP.
The Pope calls to “hear the cry of peace”
Pope Francis on Sunday called on leaders to “hear the cry of peace from the people” in these “War Easter”again referring to Ukraine “martyred”. “That we stop showing muscles while people suffer”launched the sovereign pontiff during his traditional blessing Urbi and orbiin front of some 50,000 worshipers gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
No humanitarian corridors on Sunday
The Ukrainian authorities have announced the suspension of the humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians from eastern Ukraine, for lack of an agreement with the Russian army on a cessation of firing. “We are sparing no effort to ensure that the humanitarian corridors resume as soon as possible”Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram.
