Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday his campaign in Ukraine was going according to plan and would not end until Kyiv stopped fighting. He made the comments in a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who appealed for a ceasefire in the conflict.
Putin told Erdogan he was ready for dialogue with Ukraine and foreign partners but any attempt to draw out negotiation would fail, a Kremlin statement said. Turkey said Erdogan had called for a ceasefire to ease humanitarian concerns.
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Macron, Putin call focuses on N-plants
Russian media said Putin also held almost two hours of talks on Sunday with French President Emmanuel Macron. The French presidency said the call between Putin and focused primarily on the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear plants.
A French official said Macron insisted on the need to ensure the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) safety standards are respected at Chernobyl and in other nuclear plants. He told Putin these facilities must not be targeted by a Russian offensive or caught in the fighting.
Putin said he does not intend to attack nuclear plants and agreed on the principle of a “dialogue” between IAEA, Ukraine and Russia on this issue, according to the official, who spoke anonymously in line with the French presidency’s practices. Potential talks are to be organised in the coming days, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Putin said he does not intend to attack nuclear plants and agreed on the principle of a “dialogue” between IAEA, Ukraine and Russia on this issue, according to the official, who spoke anonymously in line with the French presidency’s practices. Potential talks are to be organised in the coming days, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Zelensky asks Biden for more support
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he spoke by phone with his US counterpart Joe Biden to discuss financial support and sanctions against Russia as his country faces an intensifying onslaught.
“As part of the constant dialogue, I had another conversation with @POTUS,” Zelensky tweeted. “The agenda included the issues of security, financial support for Ukraine and the continuation of sanctions against Russia.”
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In a readout on the half-hour call, the White House said Biden had emphasised steps his administration and allies have taken steps “to raise the costs on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine”.
He also highlighted efforts by private companies, such as payment giants Visa and MasterCard, to freeze out Moscow by suspending operations in the wake of the February 24 invasion.
Hours earlier, the Ukrainian leader had addressed US lawmakers by video call, pleading for further assistance to his besieged country and a blacklisting of Russian oil imports.
The American legislators promised an additional $10 billion aid package.
Washington last week authorised $350 million of military equipment for Kyiv - the largest such package in US history.
While visiting Ukrainian refugees on the Polish border over the weekend, US secretary of state Antony said that Washington was seeking $2.75 billion to help address the unfolding humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, Washington is working on a deal with Poland to supply Ukraine with Soviet-era warplanes to bolster Kyiv’s defences against the Russian invasion, according to US media.
Multiple news outlets reported on Saturday that US officials told them of the possible deal, in which Poland would send Soviet-era aircraft to Ukraine in return for American F-16 fighter jets.
Also Read| In call with Macron, Putin says don't intend to attack Ukraine's nuclear plants
“We are working with the Poles on this issue and consulting with the rest of our Nato allies,” a White House official was quoted as saying in reports by the Wall Street Journal and NBC.
Police detain over 4,300 protesters across Russia
Police detained over 4,300 people at anti-war protests in cities across Russia on Sunday, including 1,700 people in Moscow and 750 in St Petersburg, TASS news agency quoted the interior ministry as saying.
BBC World News taken off air in Russia
The BBC said on Sunday that its World News television channel has been taken off the air in Russia as Moscow clamps down further on foreign media during its war in Ukraine.
20k foreign volunteers to fight Russians
Some 20,000 volunteers have travelled to Ukraine to join in the fight against Russian forces.
“This number is around 20,000 now. They come from many European countries mostly,” Ukraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNN.