Putin's new ultimatum; Fighter jets arrive in Ukraine?; Hungary says 'no'

Putin's new ultimatum; Fighter jets arrive in Ukraine?; Hungary says 'no'

Russia's Ministry of Defense has given a new proposal to Ukrainian soldiers who are in the "Azovstal" steel plant, to lay down their arms by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Moscow time, adding that no Ukrainian soldier accepted the same offer on Tuesday.

The humanitarian corridor will be open from 2 p.m.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a four-day truce before Orthodox Easter to allow the safe passage of civilians from the conflict zone as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Putin's new ultimatum

Russia's Ministry of Defense has given a new ultimatum to Ukrainian fighters who are under the siege within the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, reports Reuters.

"The Russian armed forces, solely on the basis of humanitarian principles, are once again proposing to soldiers of nationalist battalions and foreign mercenaries to suspend military operations until 2 p.m., Moscow time on April 20 and lay down their arms," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

No soldier accepted the same offer on Tuesday, the ministry said.

Charles Michel arrived in Kyiv

Fighter planes arrive in Ukraine?

Ukraine's partners have provided additional military planes and parts for the repair of fighter jets of the Ukrainian army that are damaged or defective, the Pentagon announced.

"They received additional aircraft and parts for planes to help them activate as many fighter planes as possible," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday, noting that Washington had not provided planes for Ukraine, Reuters reports.

Hungary said "no" to Ukraine

Hungary has so far sent 1.300 tons of aid to Ukraine and helped hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the war, but remains committed to not sending weapons or troops to its northeastern neighbor, a senior Hungarian government official said.

Hungary can help far more if it remains an "island of peace" in the Transcarpathian region, said Miklos Soltes, state secretary for church-state relations and head of the National Humanitarian Coordination Council, after visiting a humanitarian transit point on Tuesday with the Ukrainian ambassador to Hungary, Lyubov Nepop, the MTI agency reported.