Ukraine Will Withdraw From Negotiations With Russia If People Are Destroyed In Mariupol - Zelenskyy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine will withdraw from any negotiations with Russia if the Russians massacre people in Mariupol or hold a "referendum" somewhere in the temporarily occupied territory.

He said this at a press conference to Ukrainian and foreign media, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"If our people are destroyed in Mariupol, if a pseudo-referendum is proclaimed in the new pseudo-republics - Ukraine will withdraw from any negotiation processes," the head of state said.

According to Zelenskyy, people who are in the temporarily occupied territories in Kherson and in different regions should not help the occupiers in such "referendums".

As Ukrainian News Agency reported, Deputy Mayor of Mariupol Petro Andriushchenko said that the evacuation from Mariupol organized by the Ukrainian authorities was disrupted, the invaders took some of the Mariupol residents to the temporarily occupied territory.

The Russian occupation troops are preparing to hold a referendum on the creation of the so-called "Kherson People's Republic" in early May.