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Fierce fighting engulfs Mariupol as Russia demands Ukraine surrender city

Russia has given Ukrainian forces a Monday deadline to give up management of the besieged port metropolis of Mariupol, the scene of a number of the heaviest combating since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine greater than three weeks in the past.

In an announcement carried by Russian state information company RIA Novosti, Moscow’s defence ministry mentioned it was opening humanitarian corridors out of Mariupol from 10am native time on Monday and advised Ukrainian forces defending town to put down their arms and depart. It demanded Kyiv reply in writing to its ultimatum by 5am on Monday.

Russia — which has framed its invasion as a “particular operation” to “liberate” Ukraine — claimed Kyiv was utilizing “Nazis”, “international mercenaries” and “bandits” to carry as much as 130,000 civilians hostage. Regardless of overwhelming proof on the contrary, it has denied any duty for the overwhelming civilian casualties in Mariupol and blamed them on “provocations” by Ukrainian nationalists.

The ultimatum got here as fierce combating engulfed Mariupol on Sunday, with Russian forces tightening their grip and bombing a faculty the place about 400 residents have been sheltering.

The japanese port metropolis has been devastated by relentless shelling, with complete neighbourhoods decreased to piles of smouldering rubble. Electrical energy, gasoline and water have been reduce off and trapped residents are with out meals.

Ukraine’s armed forces mentioned the state of affairs was “tough: there may be famine within the metropolis, road fights, individuals are attempting to go away”. Native authorities in Mariupol mentioned “civilians are nonetheless below the rubble” after the college bombing.

Russia’s advance in Mariupol got here after Kyiv mentioned it had been reduce off from the strategically vital Sea of Azov, a conduit to the Black Sea. Capturing Mariupol would give the Russians management of a swath of Ukraine’s southern coast.

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Kyiv additionally mentioned Moscow had used its new hypersonic missiles in opposition to civilian areas elsewhere in Ukraine, within the first affirmation that the Kremlin had deployed the weapons within the battle.

Moscow mentioned it used the Kinzhal, which it claims can journey at 10 instances the pace of sound, twice up to now three days: to destroy a gas depot in southern Ukraine and to focus on a munitions storage facility within the nation’s west.

In the meantime Turkey, which is mediating alongside Israel between Russia and Ukraine, claimed the 2 nations have been converging on key features.

Turkey’s international minister Mevlut Cavusoglu mentioned “the events are near settlement on basic points”.

“It’s not that simple to barter whereas the conflict is ongoing, or to agree when civilians are dying. However I need to say that there’s momentum,” he mentioned.

Kyiv and its western allies worry Russian president Vladimir Putin may very well be shopping for time in peace talks to replenish Moscow’s forces and launch a broader offensive.

Mariupol’s standing is a sticking level within the talks as a result of it’s a part of the Ukrainian-held territory claimed by Moscow-backed separatists, in line with two individuals briefed on the peace efforts.

Turkey’s pro-government Hurriyet newspaper reported that the 2 nations have been edging in direction of settlement on Kyiv declaring neutrality and abandoning its drive for Nato membership, “demilitarising” Ukraine in alternate for collective safety ensures, what Russia calls “denazification” and lifting restrictions on using Russian in Ukraine.

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Two individuals conversant in the discussions mentioned it was probably a compromise would contain token concessions from Kyiv on what Russia calls “denazification”.

However Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the UN, accused Moscow of failing to completely take part within the talks. “The negotiations appear to be one-sided,” she mentioned. “The Russians haven’t leaned into any risk for a negotiated and diplomatic resolution.”

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned the talks have been price pursuing even when that they had a “1 per cent probability of success” and warned a failure of negotiations would threat “a 3rd world conflict”.

“We have now demonstrated the dignity of our individuals and our military . . . However sadly our dignity shouldn’t be going to protect lives. So I believe we’ve got to make use of any format, any probability, with a purpose to have the opportunity of negotiating,” he advised CNN.

US president Joe Biden will go to Europe this week to attend Thursday’s Nato summit in Brussels, however is not going to journey to Ukraine, the White Home mentioned on Sunday.

Russia is publicly sticking to the calls for Putin made within the first days of the invasion, together with vaguely outlined calls to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine. Moscow additionally desires Kyiv to recognise its 2014 annexation of Crimea and the independence of two Russia-backed separatist territories within the japanese Donbas area.

As its invasion has stalled, nonetheless, Russia has quietly dropped its vow to take away Zelensky and dialled down ideas of carving up the nation into Moscow-backed fiefdoms and a rump state.

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Ukraine has dominated out territorial concessions to Russia and has mentioned negotiations on the areas seized by Moscow earlier than this yr would require separate talks between Zelensky and Putin.

A doable settlement would require Russia to announce a ceasefire and withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory to their positions when Putin launched the invasion on February 24.

It’s probably a compromise would contain Kyiv making token concessions by banning sure teams or altering the names of streets named after Ukrainian partisans who fought alongside Nazi Germany in opposition to the USSR within the second world conflict, mentioned two individuals briefed on the talks.

Russia can be prone to soften a requirement for Ukraine to make Russian the second official language within the nation if Kyiv rolls again legal guidelines limiting its use, one of many individuals added.

Putin has justified the invasion by claiming Russia is liberating Ukraine from Nazis, though Zelensky is Jewish, and far-right nationalist teams have little affect within the nation.

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg advised NBC Information it was “far too early” to say whether or not peace talks might succeed, however emphasised the necessity to forestall the battle from changing into “a full-fledged conflict between Nato and Russia in Europe”.

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