Russia's motion on Ukraine entirely humanitarian - ministry

MOSCOW. June 3 (Interfax) - The Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed its regret over the politicized reaction of a number of members of the United Nations Security Council (UN SC) to the Russian draft resolution calling for humanitarian corridors to be open in southeast Ukraine.

"Regrettably, the reaction from several UN SC members was politicized, but we continue to maintain that this is important and necessary and our initiative on the voluntary evacuation of the civilian population was dictated by considerations that are entirely humanitarian," Russian Foreign Ministry's Human Rights Commissioner Konstantin Dolgov told Interfax on Tuesday.

Asked whether the opening of humanitarian corridors requires consent from Kyiv, Dolgov said: "In our resolution, we propose that the SC should require such corridors to be created, and so, naturally, the creation of such corridors, under international practice, will require consent and cooperation from all parties to the conflict. There is no other way to create them."

Earlier on Tuesday Russia filed a motion with the UN SC calling for an immediate cease-fire and opening of humanitarian corridors, Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said.