Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:
– Russia to scale down Kyiv attacks –
Russia says it will “radically” reduce its military activity around the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the northern city of Chernigiv after “meaningful” progress in peace talks held in Istanbul.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says the talks yielded the “most significant progress” since the war began.
– Putin, Zelensky meeting possible: Ukraine –
Ukraine’s top negotiator says enough progress had been made at the talks in Turkey to enable a meeting between the presidents of the two countries.
“The results of today’s meeting are sufficient for a meeting at the leaders’ level,” David Arakhamia says, raising the possibility of a meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin that Russia had shot down as recently as Monday as being “counterproductive”.
– Ukraine seeks long-term security guarantees –
Ukraine says it is prepared to become neutral in return for an international agreement guaranteeing its security.
Ukrainian negotiator Arakhamia says the guarantee would resemble Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty, which requires member states to come to each other’s aid in case of an attack.
– NATO no, EU yes –
Ukraine reiterates that it will not join “any military-political alliance” — a reference to NATO — or host foreign military bases on its soil, key demands of Russia’s.
Kyiv insists, however, that Ukraine be allowed to seek EU membership. It proposes to defer the thorny question of the future status of Crimea and the breakaway Donbas region.
– Ruble up, oil down –
Oil prices dive and the ruble and European and US stocks rally on the positive news from the talks.
The ruble surges by more than 10 percent against the dollar while oil falls by more than five percent.
– US scepticism –
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reacts coolly to the outcome of the talks, telling reporters in Morocco that Russia has shown no signs of “real seriousness” in the negotiations.
– Abramovich not poisoned: Kremlin –
The Kremlin denies a report that Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich was poisoned while taking part in previous talks with Ukraine, but confirms he is acting as an intermediary.
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Abramovich and Ukrainian negotiators were targeted in a suspected poison attack, which caused them to develop red eyes and peeling skin, from which they later recovered.
– ‘Crime against humanity’ –
Zelensky calls the month-long Russian siege of the port city of Mariupol, where at least 5,000 people have died since the invasion began according to Ukrainian estimates, a “crime against humanity”.
“What the Russian troops are doing to Mariupol is a crime against humanity, which is happening in front of the eyes of the whole planet in real time”, Zelensky tells the Danish parliament by video link.
– Seven killed in Mykolaiv strike –
At least seven people are killed and 22 injured in a Russian strike on a regional government building in the key southern port of Mykolaiv, Zelensky tells Danish MPs..
– Evacuations resume –
Ukraine says it is resuming the evacuation of civilians from war-scarred regions after a one-day pause over what it called the threat of Russian attacks.
“Three humanitarian corridors were agreed for today,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says on Telegram.
– Nuclear safety boss in Ukraine –
The chief of the UN atomic watchdog, the IAEA, visits Ukraine to discuss the safety of its nuclear facilities, the organisation announces.
– Wagner Group in Ukraine: UK –
Britain’s defence ministry says Russia’s Wagner Group has deployed its mercenaries to eastern Ukraine, adding that more than 1,000 fighters are expected to participate in the war after Russian setbacks.
