Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias will personally accompany a humanitarian mission to Mariupol, informs Interfax-Ukraine citing Greek mass media.
“I am planning to personally accompany humanitarian mission in coordination with the Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer who we have already been contacting,” stated Dendias. He sent an official note to the Ukrainian side asking to facilitate and another note to the Russian side asking not to hinder the transportation of the humanitarian aid.
Mariupol is home to tens of thousands of ethnic Greeks, which is why Athens is willing to help the city so eagerly.
On Monday, he gave a speech at the Council of the European Union emphasizing the importance of protecting civilians. He also discussed this topic with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.
He also discussed the state of civilians with the Greek Consul General in Mariupol Manolis Androulakis that arrived in Greece on Sunday.
Manolis Androulakis, the last EU diplomat evacuated from Mariupol, has stated that the city is going to get to the list of the cities destroyed by war. He has also said that he saw their things he hopes no one will ever have to see.
Russian troops have caused a humanitarian catastrophe in Mariupol. The city has been encircled, thousands of its citizens have been killed. Russians hinder the evacuation and the transportation of humanitarian aid. The city is living without electricity and a water supply.