Russian humanitarian aid convoy pushes south to Ukraine Russian lorries taking aid to conflict-hit east Ukraine have started a second day of their journey, reports say. The 262-vehicle convoy stopped overnight in the southern city of Voronezh, and is expected to arrive at the Ukraine border later on Wednesday. Uncertainty remains about how the aid will be delivered, amid fears Russia could use the convoy as a pretext for military action in Ukraine. At least 1,500 have died since Ukraine sent troops against pro-Russia rebels. The fighting in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions since mid-April has displaced almost 300,000 people, many of whom have fled to Russia. Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected in Crimea on Wednesday for a meeting with members of the Security Council. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March, a move which triggered the first round of Western sanctions against Moscow. Ukraine conditions The lorries, said to be carrying nearly 2,000 tonnes of aid, left the Moscow area bound for Luhansk on Tuesday morning, Russian media and officials say. Russian TV showed the cargo, including grain, baby food and medicine, which will go to civilians trapped by fighting in the area held by pro-Russia rebels. The convoy spent the night in Voronezh, about 300km (185 miles) or seven hours drive from the proposed border crossing point at Shebekino-Pletnyovka into Ukraines Kharkiv region, and is now continuing its journey. On first hearing news of the convoy, Ukraine set conditions for its entry into Ukraine. Security council spokesman Andriy Lysenko said aid should pass through a government-controlled border post and be accompanied by Red Cross officials. Later Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow had agreed to these conditions. We have received a note from the Ukrainian side with confirmation of their readiness to accept this aid, he said, quoted by Itar-Tass news agency. Mr Lavrov added that a Ukrainian demand that the aid be transferred to other vehicles at the border had been dropped on the grounds of cost. The lorries would continue on their journey with Ukrainian number plates, he added. But the BBCs Daniel Sandford in Moscow says that long discussions are continuing about whether the lorries will actually be allowed to enter. Western officials have expressed concerns that Russia is using humanitarian assistance as a pretext to put troops in eastern Ukraine. Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned on Monday that the Russians were developing a narrative and a pretext for a military operation under the guise of aid. On Wednesday, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond called on Russia to state without undue delay the items they intend to supply and respect the neutrality of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC has said it still needs more security guarantees and information about the aid convoy. It has, however, acknowledged the situation in eastern Ukraine is critical and has agreed in principle to such an operation. source: bbc/news/world-europe-28768746
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 09:27:01 +0000
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