Zimpapers Logo

Vladimir Putin

MOSCOW. — Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday that Russia had to act decisively in the situation with the aid convoy in order to prevent further delays in the delivery of humanitarian cargo to the crisis-hit eastern Ukraine.

“Putin stressed that considering Kiev’s blatant attempts to hinder the delivery of Russian humanitarian aid to Ukrainian regions caught in humanitarian crisis the Russian leadership has decided to move the truck convoy (across the Ukrainian border),” the Kremlin press service said.

“Further delays would be inadmissible,” the statement said quoting the Russian president.

“Putin has also expressed serious concern over the ongoing large-scale escalation of Kiev’s military operation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions leading to new casualties among the civilian population,” the statement said.

Earlier in the day, at least 60 trucks from the Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid to violence-torn Luhansk and Donetsk regions crossed the border with Ukraine allegedly without clearance by Ukrainian customs officials and without escort provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Moscow said Ukrainian authorities had been holding up for days the delivery of humanitarian aid to the trapped civilians in besieged Luhansk — RIA Novosti.