Podolyak spoke about the negotiations with Russia on the evacuation of Azovstal/Collage 24 channel
Mikhail Podolyak said that Russia is constantly changing the terms of the negotiation process. That is why the Ukrainian authorities do not comment on the process while the evacuation continues.
The corresponding statement in an interview with RosSMI was announced by Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the President's Office. He announced this on May 21.
The Presidential Office explained the negotiations with Russia on the evacuation from Azovstal
Podolyak was asked what was happening at Azovstal and on what conditions our defenders would be evacuated. Andriy Yermak's adviser explained that the evacuation is currently ongoing and that they are talking about a difficult negotiation process and a rather difficult situation.
The Russian side differs, to my great regret, in that it constantly changes the terms of the negotiation process. And we made a decision: until this difficult negotiation session, this difficult negotiation evacuation, is definitely over, not to comment on what is happening in detail, etc. – Mikhail Podolyak explained.
He said that they were doing this because no one could put any words in our claims that would later, for obvious reasons, cause a strange reaction in Russia.
Mykhailo Podolyak also explained that:
- the very process of evacuation caused a whole stormy propaganda reaction. In particular, there are many statements from high-ranking Russian officials and people demanding some kind of excesses, some kind of murders, etc.;
- “let's do it this way – the operation will end, the evacuation will end in full, when everything will be all right with people when people receive proper assistance in accordance with all conventions, that is, when Russia remembers that even in time of war there is legal regulation that regulates the attitude towards military personnel of another country (I’m not even talking about civilians, but about military personnel of another countries), then, perhaps, we will be able to comment on something in a large volume.”
The adviser to the head of the Office of the President assured that now is such an information time – many people are very fond of collecting additional abuse without having access to information.
“They pretend that they are something real they know, and in this way they create certain illusions. Let's very strictly observe the key rule of the war,” Mykhailo Podolyak urged.
Evacuation of soldiers from Azovstal
- On May 17, Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the evacuation of Ukrainian soldiers from Azovstal had begun. The President explained that the operation to rescue the servicemen was carried out by the military and intelligence officers.
- Just before that, Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said that 53 seriously wounded defenders of Ukraine had been evacuated from the territory of Azovstal. They were taken to the hospital of the temporarily occupied Novoazovsk. Another 211 – humanitarian corridor in Olenevka.
- On May 17, Irina Vereshchuk announced that the humanitarian operation to rescue the defenders of Mariupol continues. And as soon as the condition of the wounded normalizes, they will definitely be exchanged and returned home.
- Later, Anna Malyar explained that the authorities could not evacuate the fighters from the factory according to a different formula. That is, the chosen option was the only way out. But other options could not be applied.
- Subsequently, the founder and first commander of the Azov regiment, Andrey Beletsky, thanked everyone who contributed to the publicity of the difficult situation at Azovstal, because this gave impetus to the whole world to participate in saving the heroes. However, he explained that now, when the process has already been launched, it is very important not to disrupt it, because the situation in the war is changing every minute.
- That is why Beletsky called for refraining from comments and assessments of what is happening there. The only thing that each of you must do today is not to harm the salvation of our guys.
- On May 20, British intelligence explained that about 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers left Azovstal. However, an unknown number of fighters still remain there.
