Russia-Ukraine crisis: US and Ukrainian officials say Russia aims to capture Kyiv and topple the government
NEW DELHI: The Russian and Ukrainian governments on Friday signalled an openness to negotiations at the same time as a UN safety action changed into blocked through Moscow as expected and government in Kyiv urged citizens to help guard the capital from advancing Russian forces.
Here are the top 10 updates on this big story:
- Ukraine and Russia are discussing a place and time for talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's spokesman Sergii Nykyforov stated on social media hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Ukraine's army to overthrow its political leaders and negotiate peace.
- The Kremlin said in advance on Friday it had offered to fulfill with Ukrainian officials inside the Belarusian capital Minsk, but that Ukraine had alternatively proposed Warsaw as a venue, ensuing in a "pause" in contacts. "Ukraine turned into and stays equipped to speak about a ceasefire and peace," Nykyforov stated.
- US State Department spokesman Ned Price, but, said Russia's offer of talks become an attempt to conduct diplomacy "on the barrel of a gun", and that President Vladimir Putin's military need to stop bombing Ukraine if it changed into severe approximately negotiations.
- Russia and the West additionally traded barbs over sanctions with Moscow slamming the "impotence" of fresh financial curbs towards Vladimir Putin promised through the European Union and the USA.
- Russia vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution that could have deplored Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, at the same time as India, China and UAE abstained from the vote - a flow western countries view as a win for displaying Russia's worldwide isolation.
- Earlier, in stark comparison to the overtures, Putin had said in a televised address: "I yet again enchantment to the army personnel of the defense force of Ukraine: do no longer allow neo-Nazis and (Ukrainian radical nationalists) to apply your children, wives and elders as human shields... Take power into your own hands, it will likely be simpler for us to reach an agreement."
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, released a self-shot video from important Kyiv vowing along key aides to stay and guard the capital against the Russian invasion. Residents had been instructed by means of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry to make petrol bombs to repel the invaders.
- Moscow stated it had captured the Hostomel airfield northwest of the capital - a potential staging put up for an attack on Kyiv that has been fought over considering the fact that Russian paratroopers landed there within the first hours of the struggle. This couldn't be confirmed and the Ukrainian government suggested heavy fighting there.
- Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said an assault at the metropolis of 3 million became already underway. "Shots and explosions are ringing out in a few neighbourhoods. Saboteurs have already entered Kyiv... The enemy wants to placed the capital on its knees and ruin us."
- Ukraine said greater than 1,000 Russian soldiers were killed to this point. Russia did no longer launch casualty figures. The U.N. Said 25 civilians had been killed and 102 wounded, figures that were possibly to be a "extensive below-estimate". None of the tolls might be independently confirmed.
