Vladimir Putin Russia Ukraine war

Russian forces stepped up their assault on the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk on Saturday after claiming to have captured the nearby rail hub of Lyman, ...

A nearly three-month siege of Mariupol ended last week when Russia claimed complete control of the city. Residents who had not yet fled faced the choice of trying to do so now or staying. Ukraine's train system has ferried arms and evacuated citizens through Lyman, a key railway hub in the east. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron urged an immediate cease-fire and a withdrawal of Russian troops, according to the chancellor's spokesperson. The three leaders, who had gone weeks without speaking during the spring, agreed to stay in contact, it added. The war has caused global food shortages because Ukraine is a major exporter of grain and other commodities.

The Russian president warned the French and German leaders it was 'dangerous' for the west to supply further weapons to Ukraine.

Despite the longstanding acrimony between Zelenskiy and Poroshenko, both appeared to put their quarrels aside to focus on the threat from Russia. Poroshenko was due to travel to a Nato parliamentary assembly meeting in Vilnius. Attention this week has been focused on the city of Sievierodonetsk, which if captured would give Russia control of the whole Luhansk region. “We have not yet been able to get them out of there, despite their losses. The call came as Russia’s assault on Ukraine’s Donbas region continues to grind on. Hopes for diplomacy have faded in recent weeks as Russia’s invasion reaches the three-month mark.

Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz spoke to Mr Putin by phone for 80 minutes. The pair "insisted on an immediate ceasefire and a withdrawal of Russian troops", the ...

There are multiple, credible reports of war crimes carried out by occupying Russian forces. It is a stark contrast not just with the readout from the EU allies - who said the focus was on the welfare of the 2,500 prisoners-of-war who surrendered - but with the evidence of all independent observers. To read the Kremlin's report of the call between Presidents Putin and Macron and Chancellor Scholz, Russia is engaged in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. Its actions in the southern port of Mariupol - a city that has been reduced to rubble - are all about "establishing peaceful life" and "liberation". Elsewhere in the call, the French and German leaders asked Mr Putin to lift Russia's blockade of the Ukrainian port of Odesa, to allow for grain exports. Russia has previously said more than 900 of the fighters were moved to a reopened prison colony in Olenivka, a village in Russian-occupied Donetsk. A smaller number with serious wounds were taken to a hospital in the town of Novoazovsk, also in Donetsk. The leaders of France and Germany have urged Russia's Vladimir Putin to hold "direct [and] serious negotiations" with Ukraine's president, the German chancellor's office said.

President Vladimir Putin spoke with the leaders of Germany and France, who urged a cease-fire and for Moscow to free captured fighters.

Vladimir Putin told the leaders of France and Germany that Russia was willing to discuss ways for Ukraine to resume grain shipments from Black Sea ports.

For more information about cross-device matching, please visit the Network Advertising Initiative or the Digital Advertising Alliance. If you opt out of cross-device tracking for advertising purposes, we may still conduct cross-device tracking for other purposes, such as analytics. Information may still be collected and used for other purposes, such as research, online services analytics or internal operations, and to remember your opt-out preferences. Ad Selection and Delivery Cookies: These Cookies are used to collect data about your browsing habits, your use of the Services, your preferences, and your interaction with advertisements across platforms and devices for the purpose of delivering interest-based advertising content on the Services and on third-party sites. Social media platforms have the ability to track your online activity outside of the Services. This may impact the content and messages you see on other services you visit. Connected Devices: For connected devices, such as smart TVs or streaming devices, you should review the device’s settings and select the option that allows you to disable automatic content recognition or ad tracking. Browser Controls: You may be able to disable and manage some Cookies through your browser settings. Flash cookies need to be deleted in the storage section of your Flash Player Settings Manager. Third-party sites and services also use interest-based Advertising Cookies to deliver content, including advertisements relevant to your interests on the Services and third-party services. They are also used to recognize you and provide further insights across platforms and devices for the above purposes. You should read the Privacy Policy and this Notice for a full picture of NBCUniversal’s use of your information. Measurement and Analytics: These Cookies collect data regarding your usage of and performance of the Services, apply market research to generate audiences, and measure the delivery and effectiveness of content and advertising. You can set your browser to block these Cookies, but some parts of the site may not function properly.