War in Ukraine: kyiv offers talks to Russia next to the Azovstal site in Mariupol

Ukraine extends a hand to Russia.

kyiv has offered Moscow talks next to the vast Azovstal metallurgical complex in Mariupol, in the south-east of the country, where Ukrainian fighters and civilians are still entrenched in a devastated city largely under Russian control, the city said on Sunday. Ukrainian presidency.

“We have invited the Russians to hold a special session of talks right next to the Azovstal site,” an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Oleksiï Arestovitch, told a briefing.

Ukraine said it was "waiting for the response" from the Russian delegation.

kyiv demands a truce in Mariupol

Earlier in the day, another adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, Mykhaïlo Podoliak, recalled on Twitter that kyiv demanded "a truce" in Mariupol for the Orthodox Easter celebrated on Sunday.

The Ukrainians want "an immediate humanitarian corridor for the civilians" stranded in this port city and "an agreement for special negotiations to exchange military prisoners".

The huge Azovstal factory is a symbol.

It represents the bitterness of the fighting between the Ukrainian and Russian armies in Mariupol, pounded since the beginning of March by the forces of Moscow and today almost completely destroyed.

Ukrainian fighters are still entrenched there, with little food and ammunition, and "about a thousand civilians, women and children" and "hundreds of wounded", according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Negotiations deemed difficult

Vladimir Putin for his part demanded the surrender of these last fighters, asking his army to besiege “the area in such a way that not a single fly will pass”.

Russia says it aims for "total control" of southern Ukraine and the eastern region of Donbass, to have a land bridge to Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Negotiations between kyiv and Moscow aimed at settling the conflict are "skating", Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday, the latest discussions held by videoconference having given rise to no apparent progress.

Last week, kyiv assured that the discussions with Moscow were "extremely difficult".