Remaining Ukrainian troops in Mariupol ask to be evacuated to a third country
April 20, 2022, 8:11 am

Remaining Ukrainian troops in Mariupol ask to be evacuated to a third country

Andriy Chorny-Kuybida, one of the Ukrainian soldiers killed by the Russian invasion (Photo: Euromaidan Press)

The Anews reported that the Ukrainian commander of the remaining marines in the heavily contested port city of Mariupol has asked for an evacuation to a third country.

"The enemy outnumbers us 10 to 1," Serhiy Volyna, commander of Ukraine's 36th Marine Brigade, said in a one-minute video message posted to Facebook early Wednesday morning (Apr 20). "We appeal to all world leaders to help us."

Wolyna said that Russia has advantages in the air, artillery, ground forces, equipment and tanks.

The Ukrainian side is defending only one site, the Azovstal Steel Works, where civilians are sheltering in addition to the military.

Volyna asked for an "extraction procedure" and urged that everyone - soldiers from the Mariupol garrison, more than 500 wounded combatants and hundreds of civilians - be taken to safety on the territory of a third country.

CaptionPresident Volodymyr Zelensky: Every Russian rocket that hit our state is an answer to the old question about NATO. About whether the doors of the Alliance are actually open for Ukraine. If they were open, if it was fair, then we would not have to convince the Alliance that the sky over Ukraine needs to be closed. Cover from the death carried by the Russian air force (File photo and text: President Volodymyr Zelensky Facebook page)

Wolyna said: "This is our appeal to the world. This could be the last appeal of our lives. We are probably facing our last days, if not hours."

The south-eastern Ukrainian port of Mariupol was completely surrounded by Russian troops on March 1, shortly after the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine.

The city and the port are largely considered to have been destroyed.

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Most recently, according to Russian information, around 2,500 Ukrainian fighters and 400 foreign mercenaries were holed up in the steelworks.

According to Ukrainian reports, around 1,000 civilians are said to have sought protection there. Russia has repeatedly called on Ukrainian troops to surrender.

Source: anews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.