Ukraine to block Russian aid convoy
A Russian aid convoy will be turned back from the Ukrainian border amid fears the mission may be used to send in soldiers.
The Ukrainian government has said that the convoy lacks Red Cross (ICRC) certification and will not be allowed to enter the country. If the aid is to cross the border, a Ukrainian government aide said, it must be removed from Russian trucks by the ICRC and loaded onto other vehicles.
The Red Cross itself indicated that it had no idea what the convoy's 280 trucks contained or where they were headed, which will do little to alleviate fears in the west that Russia will use the convoy as cover for the insertion of troops into rebel territory.
These fears had initially led to Ukraine to oppose Russian aid efforts going to the revels in the east of Ukraine. Yesterday it had seemed that an agreement had been reached and that a multi-national effort, including supplies from the EU and US, would work with the Red Cross to bring aid to the city of Luhansk (below), which is held by pro-Russian rebels.
Russia itself had indicated a willingness to work with the ICRC, which does not use armed escorts.