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Russian Forces Keep Up Pressure On Eastern Ukraine As Kyiv Offers To Hold Talks In Mariupol

By RFE/RL April 21, 2022

Russian troops continued their all-out offensive in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv proposed to hold a "special round" of negotiations in the besieged port city of Mariupol after an ultimatum issued by Russia for the surrender of the last troops still resisting in the city expired on April 20.

A British military update on April 21 said that Russian forces are advancing from staging areas in the Donbas toward the city of Kramatorsk, which continues to be hit by rocket fire.

"High levels of Russian air activity continue as it seeks to provide close air support to its offensive in eastern Ukraine, and to suppress and destroy Ukrainian air defense capabilities," Britain's Ministry of Defense tweeted in a regular bulletin.

After failing to seize Kyiv and other large and strategic cities in its nearly eight-week war, Moscow now says its aim is to capture the full provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, which have been the focus of Russia-backed separatists since 2014.

Chief Ukrainian negotiator and presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said the Ukrainian side is ready to hold the talks without conditions.

Yes. Without any conditions. We're ready to hold a "special round of negotiations" right in Mariupol. One on one. Two on two. To save our guys, Azov, military, civilians, children, the living & the wounded. Everyone. Because they are ours. Because they are in my heart. Forever.
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) April 20, 2022

Another key Ukrainian negotiator, David Arakhamia, said on Telegram that he and Podolyak "are ready to arrive in Mariupol to hold talks with the Russian side on the evacuation of our military garrison and civilians."

Arakhamia said that he and Podolyak were in constant contact with Ukrainian forces in the city.

"Today, in a conversation with the city defenders, a proposal was put forward to hold direct negotiations, on site, on the evacuation of our military garrison," he said.

But Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Russia's republic of Chechnya and a top ally of President Vladimir Putin, said Russian forces will seize the last main stronghold of resistance in Mariupol on April 21.

"Before lunchtime, or after lunch, Azovstal will be completely under the control of the forces of the Russian Federation," Kadyrov, whose forces have been fighting in Ukraine, said of the steel plant where the last Ukrainian defenders and many civilians are holed up.

Russia said earlier that it had presented Ukraine with a draft document outlining its demands for ending the conflict.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that "the ball is in their court. We're waiting for a response." He gave no details on the draft.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had not seen or heard of the proposal, though one of his top advisers said the Ukrainian side was reviewing it.

The statements came as another attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol fell short of Ukrainian expectations on April 20, and as Zelenskiy warned that "the situation in Mariupol is deteriorating" with thousands of troops and civilians stuck in the city.

A Ukrainian commander had earlier issued a desperate plea for help, saying his marines defending Azovstal are "maybe facing our last days, if not hours."

In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden convened U.S. military leaders in an annual White House policy meeting that took on special significance amid the war in Ukraine.

A "variety of topics" were set to be discussed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other senior military leaders, a National Security Council spokesperson said.

Opening the meeting, Biden touted the toughness of the Ukrainian military and said that NATO's unity has shocked Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"They're tougher and more proud than I thought; I'm amazed what they're doing with your help," Biden said. "I don't think that Putin counted on it being able to hold us together."

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-invasion-mariupol- negotiations-russia/31813927.html

Copyright (c) 2022. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.