Ukraine says it will ‘never agree to Russian ultimatums’
Ukraine said on Wednesday that Russian-staged votes in four Ukrainian regions on becoming part of Russia were “null and worthless,” and that Kyiv would press on with efforts to liberate Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces.
Urging its international partners to impose tough new sanctions on Moscow and provide Kyiv with more military aid, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Ukraine would never agree to Russian ultimatums.
“Forcing people in these territories to fill in some papers at the barrel of a gun is yet another Russian crime in the course of its aggression against Ukraine,” it said.
Describing the “referendums” organised by Russia as a sham, it said they had “nothing to do with expression of will” and had no implications for Ukraine’s “administrative-territorial system and internationally recognised borders.”
“Ukraine and the international community condemn such actions of Russia and consider them null and worthless,” the statement said.
Moscow will not give out passports to Russians mobilised by the army, a government
Ukraine said Russian-staged votes in four Ukrainian regions on becoming part of Russia were ‘null and worthless,’ and that Kyiv would press on with efforts to liberate Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces
information portal said on Wednesday, as fears of travel restrictions rise and tens of thousands flee the country.
“If a citizen is summoned for army service or received a summons (for mobilisation), he will be refused a passport,” the government website said.
It added that those who are not issued a passport will be notified how long the hold will be in place.
Since President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilisation to prop up the Russian army in Ukraine, tens of thousands have crossed into neighbouring countries to evade the drat.
Many have feared that men of military age would be barred from leaving the country, with reports that some have already been turned away.
“Ukraine has every right to restore its territorial integrity by military and diplomatic means, and will continue to liberate the temporarily occupied territories.
“Ukraine will never agree to any Russian ultimatums. Moscow’s atempts to create new separation lines or weaken international support for Ukraine are doomed to fail.”
For now, Russian forces have been leting some people out of occupied parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces through the one checkpoint. No one knows how long the route will stay open, especially for drat-aged men.
Hundreds of people arrived on Tuesday in cars and mini-vans ater being suddenly allowed out.
On Wednesday morning some were still at the centre, with nowhere to go, trying to arrange accommodation ater spending the night in a school.
An air raid siren sounded, and a downpour drenched the parking lot of the Epicenter home improvement store that hosts the reception centre in plastic shelters.
A Us-based charity, World Central Kitchen, was providing hot meals inside a tent.
“A lot of people are just leaving everything behind. There are places that are completely deserted,” said Boyko.
“Everybody wants to be in Ukraine, and this is why everybody is leaving. Over there is a lawless place. Entire villages are leaving.”
He said officers of the FSB, Russia’s internal security service, had told him and others at the last checkpoint that if they leave for Ukraine they would never be permited to return.
He did not know if drat-age men still were being allowed out.
“The line of vehicles was so long you could not see the end of it,” recounted another man, Andriy, 37, who declined to give his last name, standing by the yellow, mud-spatered minibus in which he arrived with his wife, two children and parents.
“Seventy per cent of people are leaving because of the referendum. There was no light, no gas, and no work and all of a sudden, you get the referendum,” said the agricultural worker from Beryslav, in Kherson province.
“It’s complete nonsense. I don’t know a single person among those I know who voted.”
He said he saw passers-by forced to fill in ballots on their knees at a Bereslav crossroad.
Russia says voting has been voluntary and turn-out has been high.