HIGHLIGHTS
- Ukraine responded with a strong ‘no’ to Russia’s demand of surrendering Mariupol.
- Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that surrender is not an option.
- Russia had demanded that Ukraine must surrender Mariupol by 5 am on March 21.
Soon after Russia’s defense ministry demanded that Ukrainians in Mariupol give up arms and the besieged city, Ukraine responded with a strong ‘no’. Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk responded to Russia by stating that surrender is not an option, reported the Kyiv Independent. “There can be no talk of any surrender, laying down of arms. We have already informed the Russian side about this,” she told the news outlet Ukrainian Pravda.
The letter from Russia’s Defense Ministry said it would only establish a humanitarian corridor if Mariupol surrenders. Russia had demanded that Ukraine must surrender Mariupol by 5 am on March 21. Russia had claimed that it will then open humanitarian corridors for civilians and disarmed soldiers.
