Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to evacuate the residents of Mariupol only if the Ukrainian defenders lay down their arms..

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“Putin put forward an inhuman demand for the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol. Dictator Putin has promised to release the civilians he is holding hostage from Mariupol on the condition that the city’s defenders surrender him and lay down their arms,” he wrote..

In particular, he put forward such a demand during a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, who had previously wanted to agree with Putin on such an evacuation..