Ordinary Ukrainians living in some areas hit by Russian troops on Monday faced a cynical proposal: stay put and risk being bombed, or leave their homes for Russia or Belarus.
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Kyiv, Ukraine (CNN) Ordinary Ukrainians living in some areas hit by Russian forces on Monday faced a cynical proposal: stay put and risk being bombed, or leave their homeland for Russia or Belarus.
Ukrainian officials have rejected the Kremlin's proposal to unilaterally create evacuation corridors for civilians, saying it is an unacceptable and unworkable option. Most routes lead to Russia or its staunch ally Belarus, and require people to travel through active war zones.
A spokesman for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Moscow's proposal "totally immoral" and said Russia was trying to "use people's suffering to make television pictures."
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk responded to Russia's statement demanding that Moscow "accept our choice of course and ... agree to the ceasefire we will agree to". Ukraine has demanded that evacuation corridors be opened to keep citizens mostly in Ukraine.
Separately, suspicions of such corridors grew after the evacuation of civilians was halted for hours on Saturday and Sunday amid accusations of Russian troops shelling escape routes.
