Besieged Ukrainian city rejects Russian order to surrender

KYIV • Ukraine defied a Russian demand that its forces lay down arms before dawn yesterday in Mariupol, a city already laid waste by Russian bombardment and where hundreds of thousands of civilians remain trapped.

Russia's military had ordered Ukrainians inside the besieged city in the country's south-east to surrender by 5am, saying that those who did so would be permitted to leave through safe corridors.

"There can be no question of any surrender, laying down of arms" in the city, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk responded. "We have already informed the Russian side about this."

The United Nations said yesterday that the Russian invasion has driven 10 million people - nearly a quarter of Ukraine's 44 million population - from their homes. While most were displaced inside Ukraine, about 3.4 million have fled to other countries like Poland.

Russia's assault on Ukraine, now in its fourth week, has stalled along most fronts. Russia has failed to seize a single major Ukrainian city, much less capture the capital Kyiv or swiftly topple the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Thousands of Russian and Ukrainian troops have died, and Russia's artillery-heavy army has suffered large losses in tanks and armour. Five Russian generals have already been killed - a loss of senior commanders in such a short period is almost unheard of in modern warfare.

Russia has pounded residential areas, causing massive destruction. No other place has been worse hit than Mariupol, a port on the Sea of Azov, home to 400,000 people before the war.

It has been under siege and constant bombardment, with no food, medicine, power or fresh water since the invasion's early days. Some people have been allowed to leave in private cars, but Russian forces have not permitted aid convoys or buses for evacuating civilians to reach the city.

Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky called on European leaders yesterday to cease all trade with Russia in an effort to pressure Moscow to halt its nearly month-long military assault on his country.

"Please do not sponsor the weapons of war of this country, of Russia. No euros for the occupiers. Close all of your ports to them. Don't export them your goods. Deny energy resources. Push for Russia to leave Ukraine," he said in a video address.

Addressing Germany directly, he said: "You have the strength. Europe has the strength."

His appeal comes as several countries in the European Union, including the Baltic states, have called for an embargo on Russian oil and gas imports. EU foreign ministers were meeting yesterday to discuss Ukraine and a possible tightening of sanctions.

The Kremlin said yesterday that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine had not yet made any significant progress. Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said significant progress had to be made for there to be a basis for a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr Zelensky.

"To be able to discuss a possible meeting between the two presidents, you must first do your homework. That is, you need to conduct and agree on the results of the negotiations," Mr Peskov told a daily briefing. "So far, no significant progress has been made... The presidents simply have no agreements to approve yet."

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BLOOMBERG