Ukraine’s president said early Wednesday that talks with Russia to end the conflict are difficult but progressing slowly.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the latest developments in the war, negotiations, and evacuations in a video message on his Telegram account.
“Ukrainian negotiators are working on the talks, which are going on almost every day.” It’s difficult, and occasionally scandalous. But, little by little, we’re making progress,” Zelenskyy said.
He stated that talks with Russia were ongoing at various levels in order to put an end to the brutal war, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and the displacement of millions.
According to Zelenskyy, around 100,000 people are stranded in the besieged city of Mariupol, where they are forced to live in inhumane conditions without food, water, or medicine. Around 7,000 others have been evacuated, but the process has been hampered by Russian forces.
“Our representatives are attempting to reach an agreement on humanitarian corridors in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk regions,” he said, adding that additional evacuations in Mariupol would take place on Wednesday.
The war between Russia and Ukraine, which began on February 24, has sparked international outrage, with the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom, among others, imposing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.
According to a UN tally, at least 953 civilians have been killed and 1,557 injured during the war.
The true toll, however, is “considerably higher,” according to the international body.
According to the UN refugee agency, more than 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine as a result of Russian attacks.