Russia has to withdraw to the pre-invasion position, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday as he expressed his willingness to hold peace talks with a caveat. Speaking at a meeting at London’s Chatham House think-tank on Friday, the Ukraine leader insisted that “regaining the situation as of the 23rd of February” — the day before the invasion — is a prerequisite for talks. “In that situation we will be able to start discussing things normally,” and Ukraine could use “diplomatic channels” to regain its territory, he said.
Here are ten updates on the Ukraine war:
1. Evacuations continued at the besieged Azovstal plant of Marirupol port city that has suffered huge damage since the war started. As Ukrainian fighters prevent takeover of the city, dozens more were evacuated.
2. At least 50 people were evacuated from the steel plant and handed over to representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Russian military said the group included 11 children, according to reports.
3. Zelensky is set to meet US president Joe Biden virtually on Sunday. “On Sunday morning, President Biden will participate in a G7 virtual Leaders meeting chaired by German Chancellor Scholz. The Leaders will be joined by President Zelenskyy of Ukraine,” a White House spokesperson said.
4. Russia can’t evade responsibility on war crimes with nuclear threats, the Ukraine president was quoted as saying in reports.
5. Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a phone call on Friday, underscored their commitment to holding Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine and discussed efforts to provide security assistance to Ukraine, the White House said in a statement.
6. The United States has cleared a package worth $150 million for Ukraine’s fight to repel Russia’s invasion. “I am announcing another package of security assistance that will provide additional artillery munitions, radars, and other equipment to Ukraine,” Biden said, while warning that funding was close to running out and urging Congress to authorize more.
7. Meanwhile, Pentagon has denied reports that it helped Ukrainian forces sink the Russian warship Moskva in the Black Sea on April 13. “We did not provide Ukraine with specific targeting information for the Moskva,” spokesman John Kirby says in a statement.
8. More than 5.5 million people have so far been forced out of their homes in Ukraine.
9. Kyiv says more than 24,000 Russian troops have been killed in the war so far.
10. Russia waged a war on the country on February 24, calling it a “special military operation” with an aim to “denazify” the country.
(With inputs from AFP, Reuters, AP)
