Meaningful Talks Needed To Stop Russia In Ukraine, Zelensky Says

Zelensky calls for comprehensive peace talks
Ukraine announced the loss of access to the Sea of Azov
U.S. oilfield services companies suspend or stop operations in Russia
Biden warned Xi China against helping Russia

KYIV/LVIV, Ukraine, March 19 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday called for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow to stop its invasion of his homeland, warning that it would otherwise take Russia “several generations” to recover from losses suffered during the war. war.

Since the offensive began on February 24, Russian forces, facing stiff resistance, have largely halted their advance, even as they invaded the capital Kyiv. Seeking to gain momentum, they laid siege to cities and reduced urban areas to rubble.

Early on Saturday, air raid sirens sounded in Kiev, Chernihiv and Zhytomyr regions, but there were no immediate reports of new shelling.

Unprecedented Western sanctions aimed at isolating the Russian economy have done little to stop what President Vladimir Putin calls a “special operation” to reduce the military capabilities of a neighboring state and “denazify” its government.

After Russia said it was “tightening the noose” around the key port of Mariupol, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry admitted on Friday that it had “temporarily” lost access to the Sea of Azov, which connects to the Black Sea, and that would be a big loss for Ukraine.

But Western officials say Russia has suffered heavy casualties and the morale of its troops is fading. Zelenskiy hinted at this trend in a video message in which he called for the resumption of negotiations to end the war.

“I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow. It’s time to meet, it’s time to talk,” he said early on Saturday morning. “The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia’s losses will be such that it will take you several generations to recover them.

Russia admitted on March 2 that almost 500 of its soldiers were killed, but has not provided any updates since. Ukraine says they now number in the many thousands. Reuters was unable to independently verify the death toll.

Kyiv and Moscow reported some progress this week in talks to work out a political formula that would guarantee Ukraine security protection outside the NATO alliance.

But Ukraine has said the need for an immediate ceasefire and Russian troop withdrawal remains, with each side accusing the other of dragging out negotiations. More

Putin vowed to continue the invasion until it succeeds, promising tens of thousands of people waving Russian flags at a football stadium in Moscow on Friday that Russia would “absolutely carry out all our plans.” More

The United States has repeatedly warned that Russia may seek help from China, the largest power that has not condemned the attack.

The White House said that during a video call Friday, President Joe Biden told Chinese President Xi Jinping that there would be “consequences” if Beijing provided “material support” to Russia in Ukraine. He said sanctions against Beijing were an option. More

China and Russia deny that Beijing is considering providing military assistance to Moscow. China says it wants to end the conflict.

Run for cover

U.S. oilfield services companies Halliburton Co (HAL.N) and Schlumberger (SLB.N) said Friday they have suspended or halted operations in Russia in response to U.S. sanctions over Moscow’s invasion. More

Russia, one of the world’s largest oil and gas producers, exports 7 to 8 million barrels of oil and petroleum products per day. BP PLC, Shell, Equinor ASA (EQNR.OL) and Exxon Mobil have suspended operations or announced plans to exit their operations in Russia.

In the fourth week of their land, sea and air attacks, Russian troops have not captured a single major city, and the elected government of Ukraine is still resisting in the capital.

Fleeing a bombing raid that Ukraine says hit neighborhoods, schools, hospitals and cultural sites, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have fled to Lviv in western Ukraine, far from the front lines in the country’s east.

Three rockets landed at an airport near Lviv on Friday, raising fears that the city could come under more heavy shelling.

Civilians taking refuge in eastern Ukrainian cities are having to endure power, heating and water cuts, while food and other vital resources are becoming increasingly scarce. More than 3 million refugees fled across Ukraine’s western border.

Some of the heaviest fighting took place in Mariupol, where some 400,000 people have been trapped for more than two weeks. Local officials say the fighting has reached the city center and that the near-constant shelling is hindering the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Rescuers were still looking for survivors in the Mariupol theater of operations, which was devastated by Russian airstrikes on Wednesday. Russia denies the attack on the theatre. More

In his video message, Zelensky said there was no information on how many people died in the theater, where hundreds were hiding. More than 130 people have been rescued, he said.

As people continue to try to escape through “humanitarian corridors” organized by the Ukrainian and Russian authorities, the World Food Program has warned that the country’s food supply chains are collapsing.

Key infrastructure such as bridges and trains have been destroyed by bombs and many grocery stores and warehouses are empty, said Jacob Kern, WFP emergency coordinator for Ukraine.

“Inside Ukraine, our job is to replace broken commercial food supply chains,” he said, calling it a “giant task.” More

Reuters reporting; Written by Rami Ayub and Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by William Mullard

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