Global Courant
(Inserts Prime Minister calling for help in paragraph 3-5, Zelenskiy talking to French Macron)
BERLIN, June 7 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed shock at what he said was the failure of the United Nations and the Red Cross to help after the destruction of the massive Kakhovka dam when his prime minister urged international agencies to help asked.
Although the catastrophe happened many hours ago, “they are not there,” Zelenskiy told German newspapers Bild and Die Welt as well as Politico. “We have had no response. I am shocked.”
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal urged international humanitarian organizations to provide urgent assistance.
“The Russian occupiers are not even trying to help these people, they have left them to fend for themselves,” Denys Shmyhal said in English in a video posted to Telegram.
“We call on you to lead the evacuation of people from the Russian-occupied territory of Kherson Oblast. We must save the lives of people sentenced to death by the occupiers.”
In his interview, Zelenskiy said that Russian soldiers fired from a distance while rescue efforts were underway.
“As soon as our helpers try to save them, they are shot at,” he said.
Zelensky later said on Telegram that he had spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron about the environmental and humanitarian situation in the Kherson region.
“I outlined Ukraine’s overall needs in dealing with the disaster. And we discussed the possibility of engaging international mechanisms to investigate its causes,” the president said.
“And I discussed the possibility of the IAEA (UN nuclear watchdog) and (its chief) Rafael Grossi strengthening control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” he said.
A large cooling pond for the power plant above the reservoir of the breached dam is full and has enough water for several months, the IAEA reports Tuesday. (Reporting by Madeline Chambers and Ron Popeski Editing by Gareth Jones and Nick Macfie)
