With the mediation of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, on 7 May the evacuation continues of civilians holed up at the Azovstal steel works in the Ukrainian town of Mariupol. Ukraine said 50 civilians were evacuated on Friday, accusing Russia of violating a truce intended to allow dozens more still trapped underground to depart after weeks under siege, Reuters reports.

"The elimination of our soldiers, of our men (in Mariupol) will put an end to any negotiation of peace between Russia and Ukraine," Volodymyr Zelensky stated.“We are also working on diplomatic options to save our military, who still remain at Azovstal. Influential intermediaries are involved, including influential states,” Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The World Food Programme, WFP called for the reopening of ports in the Odessa region of Southern Ukraine so that food produced there can move freely to the rest of the world, France Presse reports. Prior to the war Ukraine, provided 12% of the world’s grain, feeding over 400 million people in the world. This year the Ukrainian crop is expected to be down by one-third, and there are 25 million tons of grain stuck in Ukraine’s depots, according to the WFP.

The EU’s High Representative Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated in Brussels that he would call a meeting of the EU’s foreign ministers on 10 May if no agreement is reached on imposing an embargo on Russian oil.