Zelenskyy: Russia’s show trial in Mariupol a point of no return for negotiations

MONDAY, 22 AUGUST 2022, 00:38

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine has said that if Russia holds its show trial of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Mariupol, it will cut itself off from any possibility of negotiations.

Source: President Zelenskyy’s video address

Quote: "And now there are numerous media reports that in Mariupol the scene is being set for an absolutely disgusting and absurd show trial of Ukrainian defenders, of our warriors who are captives of the occupiers.

No matter what the occupiers are thinking, no matter what they are planning, the reaction of our state will be absolutely clear. If this despicable show trial takes place, if our people are made to take part in this spectacle in violation of all agreements, all international rules, if there is abuse... This will be the line beyond which any negotiations are impossible. Russia will cut itself off from the negotiations. There will be no more conversations. Our state has said everything.

[…] Ukraine will not tolerate this. It will not tolerate the abuse of people about whom only one thing can be said: they are heroes of their Homeland, they defended the freedom of their people from invaders on their land."

Details: Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s partner-countries have been informed about the actions that Russia might undertake in the coming week and confirmed that they all "understand everything". More specifically, Zelenskyy said that the world leaders understand what the Russian occupiers are doing in Ukraine and what the consequences of this might be. They understand that Ukraine will not tolerate it.

Background:

• Sources in military intelligence told Ukrainska Pravda that Russia is planning to emulate the Nuremberg Trials when it holds the first stage of a show trial of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Mariupol.
• Sources clarified that Russia wants to try not soldiers of Azov Special Operations Forces or Ukrainian soldiers but allegedly the "ideology of nationalism". They are thus trying to achieve the goal of "de-Nazification" declared by the Russian government.
• The occupiers plan to hold the so-called "trial" in many locations, and Mariupol will only be the first of them. Russian-occupied Kherson may be the second location, Ukrainska Pravda sources said. At the same time, these sources believe it is unlikely that this process could be held outside the borders of the occupied territories.

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