Ukraine Negotiating To Save Everyone From Azovstal - Vereshchuk

Ukraine is negotiating with the Russian Federation to save all the defenders of Mariupol, Donetsk region, blocked at the Azovstal plant. The Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk announced this on her Facebook page on Friday, May 13.

Vereshchuk pointed out that at Azovstal there are now fighters of the Azov Regiment, national guards, border guards, SSU fighters, police and Territorial Defence. The Minister urged not to exaggerate the influence of world leaders, since, in her opinion, if this influence was proper, there would be no war.

"There is a presidential decree - to do everything possible and impossible to get ours out of there. The team is working. Negotiations with the enemy are very difficult. The result may not satisfy everyone. But our task is to get our guys out. Everyone. Alive. God willing, we will save everyone," Vereshchuk wrote.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Russian side rejected Turkey's proposals to evacuate the defenders of Mariupol, Donetsk region, who are located at the Azovstal plant.

On May 12, it became known that Ukraine is ready to transfer to Russia all captured Russian military in return for seriously wounded servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who are holding the defense on the territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant in Mariupol.

On May 10, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Russia is blocking all proposed options for the evacuation of the Ukrainian military from Azovstal.