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  • Emmanuel Macron: France, Turkey, Greece working on ‘humanitarian operation’ for Mariupol evacuations

Emmanuel Macron: France, Turkey, Greece working on ‘humanitarian operation’ for Mariupol evacuations
Emmanuel Macron-France President/Emmanuel Macron official Facebook page

The Arab News reported, citing the AFP, President Emmanuel Macron said Friday France was working with Turkey and Greece on a “humanitarian operation” to evacuate people from the devastated Ukrainian city of Mariupol under attack by Russian forces.

Macron said after an EU summit in Brussels: “We are going to work with Turkey and Greece to launch a humanitarian operation to evacuate all those who wish to leave Mariupol.”

He said: “I will have a new discussion with (Russian) President Vladimir Putin within the next 48 to 72 hours to work out the details and secure the modalities."

The French leader said he hoped to “be able to involve the maximum number of stakeholders in this operation.”

He said that he wanted to be “in a position” to conduct the evacuation “in the next few days.”

Health Ministry of Ukraine, March 21: Since Feb 24, Russian forces have killed 6 doctors and 16 more were injured. 43 ambulances and 135 hospitals were fired by the Russian army. Currently, 9 Ukrainian hospitals have been completely destroyed (File photo: Euromaidan Press)
Health Ministry of Ukraine, March 21: Since Feb 24, Russian forces have killed 6 doctors and 16 more were injured. 43 ambulances and 135 hospitals were fired by the Russian army. Currently, 9 Ukrainian hospitals have been completely destroyed (File photo: Euromaidan Press)

Macron said that French officials had spoken Friday to the mayor of Mariupol and that the 150,000 remaining residents were left trapped in “dramatic conditions.”

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Authorities in the city have put the death toll in the city at over 2,000, and said Friday that a single strike last week on a theater where civilians were sheltering was feared to have killed 300 people.

Russia has made the port city a major focus of its brutal onslaught on Ukraine as it tries to link up the annexed Crimea peninsula with Moscow-controlled areas in the east.

UN balmes Russia for a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine

The Kremlin’s devastating attack on Mariupol has drawn parallels with the bombardments by Russian forces that flattened Chechen capital Grozny and Syria’s Aleppo.

Source: arabnews