Ukraine does not intend to give up Mariupol

Ukraine does not intend to give up the southeastern port city of Mariupol, Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk told Ukrainian newspaper Ukrajinska Pravda.

“There is no talk of giving up or laying down arms,” ​​Vereshchuk told the newspaper. “We have also informed the Russian side about this.”

On Sunday, Russia called on Ukrainian troops to lay down their weapons in Mariupol to end what Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev of the Russian Defense Ministry called “a terrible humanitarian disaster”.

Fighting has been going on in the port city for weeks. More than 7,000 people were evacuated from the city on Sunday.