CRI听力:Russian Aid Convoy Awaits Permission to Enter Ukraine

A large Russian aid convoy remains parked near Ukraine's border, awaiting permission for the aid to be taken to eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities insist the cargo be independently checked, fearing the convoy may carry military supplies.

Andriy Lysenko is the Ukrainian National Security and Defense council spokesperson.

"The cargo will have to be examined by Ukrainian border guards anyway, and then handed over to representatives of the Red Cross."

Ukraine and Russia had originally agreed the aid would be delivered to a government-controlled crossing in Ukraine's Kharkiv province.

But that deal collapsed after Ukraine accused Moscow of plotting to use the convoy as a cover for an invasion.

Russia calls the accusation absurd, saying it has coordinated the dispatch of goods with the Red Cross.

The 2-thousand tons of aid is being sent in response to a growing humanitarian crisis taking place in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has given a speech in Crimea, saying the war in Ukraine is a "bloody chaos" and must end soon.