Donetsk, Apr 20 - DAN. DPR Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova dismissed the calls of UN Secretary-General António Guterres for ceasefire in Ukraine as inexpedient, as Kiev will use it only to regroup and strengthen its positions.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine to allow delivery of life-saving aid as well as evacuations in Mariupol, Kherson, Donetsk and Lugansk.
"Ukraine has used ceasefires (within the framework of the Minsk Agreements) to regroup, to fortify positions. Every time, ceasefires ended up in reinforced barrages and civilian casualties and victims. We, for our part, doubt the efficacy of this kind of ceasefire," Nikonorova said, speaking live on the Russia-24 TV channel.
She said that all those willing to lay down arms or leave the conflict zone can use humanitarian corridors that are regularly opened.
"But a humanitarian corridor is one thing, a ceasefire along the line of conflict is quite another. These two concepts are matching, but not identical," Nikonorova said.
Russia started a special military operation to denazify and demilitarize Ukraine on February 24. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the decision was made after the DPR and LPR Heads addressed him asking for help. *ot