Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk denounced on Wednesday the dispatch of a Russian humanitarian aid convoy to Ukraine as an act of Russian "cynicism" and the country's interior minister said it would not be allowed in.
Yatseniuk, speaking to a government meeting, said: "The level of Russian cynicism knows no bounds. First they send tanks, Grad missiles and bandits who fire on Ukrainians and then they send water and salt."
Ukrainian Prime Minister has said that Ukraine can only accept humanitarian assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The Ukrainian government will additionally provide Hr 10 million to buy vital goods to be sent to the counterterrorist operation (ATO) zone, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has said.
He said that the assistance foundation already has about $6 million, which is in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
"We, as the government of Ukraine, the president of Ukraine, supply essential commodities to all liberated territories. We, as the Ukrainian state, provided and are able to provide our citizens [with the necessary goods]," Yatseniuk said.
He said that the government allocates an additional UAH 10 million for the purchase of essential goods.
"As for our actions, the Infrastructure Ministry, the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry, the Health Ministry, the Interior Ministry, [First Deputy Prime Minister] Volodymyr Borysovych [Hroisman] are forming a column again (we have already supplied 270 tonnes) - we are doing everything to bring essential commodities to the relevant areas," he said.
Yatseniuk also asked the Red Cross to help ensure that the goods sent by the Ukrainian authorities could reach the people who remain in areas controlled by terrorists.
"They (the Russians) should better send 300 empty KamAZ trucks and take back their bandits, and then there will be no need to send humanitarian aid," Yatseniuk said.
The Ukrainian government will additionally provide Hr 10 million to buy vital goods to be sent to the counterterrorist operation (ATO) zone, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has said.
He said that the assistance foundation already has about $6 million, which is in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
"We, as the government of Ukraine, the president of Ukraine, supply essential commodities to all liberated territories. We, as the Ukrainian state, provided and are able to provide our citizens [with the necessary goods]," Yatseniuk said.
He said that the government allocates an additional UAH 10 million for the purchase of essential goods.
"As for our actions, the Infrastructure Ministry, the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry, the Health Ministry, the Interior Ministry, [First Deputy Prime Minister] Volodymyr Borysovych [Hroisman] are forming a column again (we have already supplied 270 tonnes) - we are doing everything to bring essential commodities to the relevant areas," he said.
Yatseniuk also asked the Red Cross to help ensure that the goods sent by the Ukrainian authorities could reach the people who remain in areas controlled by terrorists.
"They (the Russians) should better send 300 empty KamAZ trucks and take back their bandits, and then there will be no need to send humanitarian aid," Yatseniuk said.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on his Facebook page: "No Putin 'humanitarian convoy' will be allowed across the territory of Kharkiv region. The provocation by a cynical aggressor will not be allowed."
Russian soldiers stands near tracks with Russian humanitarian aid.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) still has no complete information about the content of a Russian convoy with humanitarian aid for Ukraine, and technical details of the transfer of cargo are also under consideration, ICRC spokesperson Andre Loersch has said.
Russian aid to eastern Ukraine must be vetted and distributed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to make sure it is not used for political ends, the European Union's humanitarian aid chief has said.
A Russian convoy carrying food, water and other aid set off on Tuesday for eastern Ukraine, but Kiev said it would not allow the vehicles to cross onto its territory.
Western governments have warned Moscow against any attempt to turn the operation into a military intervention by stealth.
"What we expect to see is full respect for international humanitarian law and for the principles of neutrality, impartiality, independence of the delivery of humanitarian aid," EU humanitarian aid commissioner Kristalina Georgieva said in an interview.
The ICRC, an independent aid agency, must assess what the Russian humanitarian aid consists of, and the ICRC must also distribute the aid to ensure it is handed out according to need, rather than the political leanings of the recipients, she said.
The Russian convoy must also respect Ukraine's sovereignty, said Georgieva, a Bulgarian who is seen as one of the candidates to succeed Britain's Catherine Ashton as EU foreign policy chief later this year.
"Ukraine has the right to know what is entering their territory," Georgieva said after announcing 2.5 million euros ($3.34 million) in EU aid for displaced people in eastern Ukraine.
The ICRC said Monday it had held talks with Ukrainian and Russian authorities on delivering the Russian aid and laid down strict guidelines to uphold its neutral role in conflicts.
Fears Over Winter
Georgieva said many civilians had fled the fighting in eastern Ukraine but those who remained faced "excruciatingly difficult conditions" with no electricity or water, scarce food and medical services that had practically collapsed.
She was worried that their plight would get worse if the conflict dragged on in to winter.
"We have seen it time and again in humanitarian crises that when weather comes on top of the conflict then, of course, a very weakened population is an easy prey to winter conditions."
Georgieva voiced hope that the EU and Russia could cooperate on the humanitarian effort in Ukraine, helping to rebuild trust.
The 28-nation EU has imposed sanctions on Moscow over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and its support for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Georgieva, 60, a former World Bank official, said whoever replaced Ashton as the EU's foreign policy chief when her term ends in October would have to take a firm stance towards Russia.
Other names in the frame to succeed Ashton are Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.
"It is a great honour to be considered but let the member states make a decision. Whoever takes this position in an environment of so many crises with very dramatic impact needs to be enjoying the full support of member states," she said.
"It's a huge responsibility. If I'm asked, of course I would serve in this job, but I would serve with equal determination … in anything that Europe asked me to do."
The decision could be made on Aug. 30 when EU leaders hold a special summit on who will get the top jobs.
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