Moscow Surprised at Washington’s Failure to Record That Russia Convoy Left Ukraine

MOSCOW, August 23 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Foreign Ministry is surprised that the United States massive possessing intelligence equipment, is unaware that Russia’s humanitarian aid convoy left Ukrainian territory and is now in Russia, deputy head of the ministry’s information and press department Maria Zakharova said.

“It is surprising that Washington, possessing such arsenal of intelligence equipment which it constantly refers to, is unaware that Russia’s humanitarian convoy has left the Ukrainian territory and is now in Russia,” Zakharova said Saturday.

US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a telephone conversation late Friday and stated that Russia should withdraw the convoy from Ukraine and accept the terms previously agreed with Kiev and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

We hope the US will be similarly decisive speaking not only about humanitarian aid deliveries but also favoring the immediate ceasefire introduction by both sides of the Ukrainian conflict,” Zakharova said.

Moscow has articulated its decision to speed up the delivery of humanitarian aid to the eastern regions of Ukraine in detail, highlighting that further delays in the delivery of Russian humanitarian aid would be inadmissible. Russia also noted that all the required issues have been agreed with the ICRC.

On August 14, the trucks with Russian humanitarian aid arrived at the border, but Ukraine began customs clearance only on August 21.

On Friday, Moscow accused Kiev of deliberately delaying the aid delivery. The same day, Russian convoy crossed the border and arrived in Luhansk, the city being sieged by the Ukrainian army and struggling daily without regular food supplies, water and electricity.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry described the convoy crossing the Russian border as a violation of international norms.

Moscow reminded that Russia received a formal agreement from Kiev authorities for the passage of the humanitarian convoy through the Ukrainian border on August 12.