Russia and Ukraine will hold a third round of talks on Monday about ending hostilities
WorldNDTV News DeskUpdated: March 06, 2022 8:44 am IST
Moscow and Kyiv traded blame over a failed ceasefire plan
Russian President Vladimir Putin today said Western sanctions were akin to a declaration of war as his forces resumed its offensive against Mariupol after a ceasefire agreed to allow the evacuation of civilians failed to take place
Here are the top 10 updates on this big story
1. The first cease-fire attempted in Ukraine to evacuate desperate civilians collapsed amid ongoing shelling as Russian and Ukrainian officials traded blame and Moscow tightened its grip on the war-battered country’s strategic seacoast, resuming its ‘offensive actions’
2. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by phone with his US counterpart Joe Biden on Sunday to discuss financial support and sanctions against Russia.
3. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin to discuss the Ukraine crisis, then spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy by phone. Israel, home to a substantial population of Russian immigrants, has offered to mediate in the conflict.
4. Card payment giants Visa and Mastercard announced they will suspend operations in Russia, the latest major US firms to join the business freeze-out of Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
5. Vladimir Putin has warned of “colossal and catastrophic consequences not only for Europe but also the whole world” if foreign powers attempt to establish a no-fly zone in Ukraine.
6. Demanding fresh rounds of sanctions against Russia, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on governments of several countries including India to appeal to Russia to stop the ongoing conflict.
7. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to launch an international “plan of action” to ensure Russia’s invasion of Ukraine fails, including a flurry of diplomatic meetings next week, his office said
8. The United States has condemned a new law in Russia that threatens jail terms of up to 15 years for spreading what the Kremlin calls “fake news,” and urged continued action across sectors to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.
9. Russia and Ukraine will hold a third round of talks on Monday about ending hostilities, Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamiya said in a Facebook post, without providing further details.
10.The number of Ukrainian refugees was expected to reach 1.5 million on Sunday as Russia continued its attack 11 days after invading Ukraine