Charles Michel, head of the European Council, reported a phone call to Russian President Putin, where he called for the opening of a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol and other cities under siege on the occasion of Easter.
"Telephone conversation with President Putin. Urging for immediate humanitarian access and safe passage from Mariupol and other cities under siege, especially on the occasion of Orthodox Easter," Michel wrote on Twitter.
The humanitarian corridor for Mariupol residents was opened on April 20 and people were to be picked up by buses. However, the evacuation did not go as planned. Only four buses left.
And the planned evacuation from Mariupol on April 21 could not take place due to shelling at the citizens' assembly point. On April 22, there are no corridors again.
Ukraine is also demanding an urgent humanitarian corridor from Russia from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, where there are estimated to be about a thousand civilians and Ukrainian defenders, including about 500 wounded.
The city has been under siege by the occupiers since early March. It is estimated that there may still be more than 100,000 people there.
Call with President Putin @KremlinRussia_E
— Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) April 22, 2022
Strongly urged for immediate humanitarian access and safe passage from #Mariupol and other besieged cities all the more on the occasion of Orthodox Easter.
Meanwhile, it has become known that the Pope has cancelled a meeting with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill that had been scheduled for June in Jerusalem. This was reported by Reuters.
Francis said he regretted the cancellation of the meeting. He said Vatican diplomacy had concluded that such a meeting "could cause great confusion now."
