Ukraine has harshly criticized a proposal by Moscow to open refugee corridors as “completely immoral." Earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry said that the civilians fleeing some cities would only be allowed to leave for Belarus or Russia.
A spokesperson for the Ukrainian presidency said people must be allowed to flee their homes through Ukrainian territory. “This is a completely immoral story. People’s suffering is used to create the desired television picture,” he said.
Early on Monday Russia said humanitarian corridors will be open in several Ukrainian cities, due to hundreds of thousands of civilians trying to flee cities including Mariupol.
Because of the personal request of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, to Vladimir Putin, Moscow said the routes would open at 10 am local time. However, Élysée Palace didn't agreed that the French President made such a request, saying he had asked for civilian populations to be protected in a call on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on for one week now. Russian forces not only infiltrated the Ukrainian border but also bombed largely populated areas. After seizing control of some Ukrainian cities, the Russian military is trying to capture the capital, Kyiv. This has increased the threat to the city of Kyiv.