Vladimir Putin has agreed in principle to the involvement of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol of Ukraine, said a UN spokesman, writes CNN.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held a tete-a-tete in Moscow with Putin. He reiterated the position of the UN on Ukraine, they discussed the proposals for humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians in relation to the situation in Mariupol.

“Russian President agreed, in principle, to the involvement of the UN and the ICRC in the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol”, - reads the release.