Aid to East Ukraine will be delivered shortly: Russia FM
August 18, 2014, 11:50 am

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov alleged that the Ukrainian government is not in control of right wing forces in the country on 18 August 2014 [MFA, Russia]

“I expect that the aid will shortly be delivered to those who need it,” said Lavrov.

The convoy is carrying 2,000 tonnes of water, baby food and other aid for people in east Ukraine, where pro-Moscow separatists are fighting Ukrainian military forces.

The Russian Foreign Minister said on Monday that the four Foreign Ministers had agreed on the passage of the Russian humanitarian convoy to Ukraine.

“At the meeting in Berlin, it was concluded that all the issues regarding Russia’s humanitarian aid initiative had been resolved,” said Lavrov.

The convoy has been parked for days in Russia near the border even as Kiev said it would not accept the aid unless it was vetted by the Red Cross.

Russia also slammed alleged attempts by Western media to politicize the passage of the 280 Russian trucks carrying water, food and medicine.

“In fact, as soon as the contrived allegations around the humanitarian aid were dismissed, foreign media lost all interest,” Lavrov said referring to media reports about the convoy being a “Trojan Horse” for Russia to get weapons to the rebels.

Lavrov on Monday also said the Ukrainian government is not in control of the “right-wing”.

“The Kiev government fails to control numerous armed groups, including the Right Sector,” Lavrov said. “And the recent demarche against the Ukrainian Interior Ministry confirms this.”

“A ceasefire is the most immediate goal because people keep dying and civil infrastructure is being destroyed,” he added.

Conservative UN estimates show the death toll has risen to at least 2086 people as of August 10 from 1129 on July 26 while 4,953 others have been wounded in the fighting since mid-April.

TBP