Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has said that Ukraine is able to provide the liberated areas in the Donbas with assistance even without Russian “humanitarian aid.”
He said this while opening a government meeting on Wednesday, a Ukrinform correspondent reported.
“The level of Russian cynicism knows no bounds. First they supplied tanks, Grads, terrorists, and bandits who shot the Ukrainians, and then they bring water and salt,” Yatseniuk said.
He said that the assistance foundation already has about $6 million, which is in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“We, as the government of Ukraine, the president of Ukraine, supply essential commodities to all liberated territories. We, as the Ukrainian state, provided and are able to provide our citizens [with the necessary goods],” Yatseniuk said.
He said that the government allocates an additional UAH 10 million for the purchase of essential goods.
Yatseniuk also said that Ukraine can accept any kind of humanitarian aid solely within international law and only from the Red Cross.
“As for our actions, the Infrastructure Ministry, the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry, the Health Ministry, the Interior Ministry, [First Deputy Prime Minister] Volodymyr Borysovych [Hroisman] are forming a column again (we have already supplied 270 tonnes) – we are doing everything to bring essential commodities to the relevant areas,” he said.
Yatseniuk also asked the Red Cross to help ensure that the goods sent by the Ukrainian authorities could reach the people who remain in areas controlled by terrorists.
“They (the Russians) should better send 300 empty KamAZ trucks and take back their bandits, and then there will be no need to send humanitarian aid,” Yatseniuk said.
ap
13.08.2014 14:04
