Ukraine rejects deadline for surrender to Russia | WJHL
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday rejected Russia’s call to cede territory in the country’s eastern region.
The Mariupol region could at any moment be on the verge of falling into Russian hands. The much larger Russian army has been shelling the region for weeks now, and Sunday marked the last day to accept Russia’s peace offer to lay down its arms in Mariupol.
Russia has given Ukrainian soldiers until 1 p.m. to surrender and has pledged to eliminate anyone who resists after the deadline.
Despite the odds, Zelenskyy swore to fight and refused to cede the territory to Russia.
“This battle is very important,” Zelenskyy said on CNN’s State of the Union. “It’s very important for us not to allow them, to hold on.”
Zelenskyy said the territory was essential to protect the rest of the country from the clutches of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“It can influence the course of the whole war because I don’t trust the Russian military and the Russian leadership,” Zelenskyy said on CNN’s State of the Union.
On ABC’s This Week, Ukraine’s prime minister said that despite everything, Ukrainian soldiers were resisting. He admitted that the situation on the ground was desperate.
“They will fight until the end,” Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on ABC’s This Week.
Russian troops practically destroyed the city of Mariupol. The Ukrainian government estimates that more than 20,000 people have died in the region since the fighting began.
Shmyhal pleaded for more humanitarian aid. The civilians trapped there have no access to food, water or electricity.
“(Civilians) have been suffering for more than 40 days from this humanitarian crisis,” Shmyhal said.
Russia steps up attacks across country after Ukraine success sank his Black Sea flagship.
On NBC’s Meet the Press, the Austrian chancellor – who met Putin last week – warned that despite previous defeats, Putin shows no signs of letting up.
“He thinks war is necessary to guarantee the security of the Russian Federation,” Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said.