Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now – Reuters

March 14 (Reuters) - Ukraine and Russia began another round of talks after negotiators said some form of agreement might be in sight, even as fierce Russian bombardments continued, with a shelling of an apartment block in Kyiv killing at least one. read more

DIPLOMACY

* Speaking ahead of a new round of talks, Russian and Ukrainian officials suggested there could be positive results within days. Ukraine said it wanted to discuss a ceasefire, troop withdrawal and security guarantees, and a negotiator described the talks as "hard" soon after they started. read more read more

Register

* Kremlin denied U.S. officials' reports that Russia asked China for military equipment after invading Ukraine. Beijing called the reports "disinformation".

* U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, in Rome. Sullivan earlier said Beijing would "absolutely" face consequences if it helped Moscow evade sanctions. read more

CIVILIAN TOLL

* At least one person when an apartment block in Kyiv was hit by a Russian shell, local authorities said. read more

* Russia said 20 civilians were killed and 28 wounded by an Ukrainian missile in the eastern city of Donetsk controlled by pro-Russian separatists. Ukraine denied the report and Reuters was unable to independently verify it.

* More than 2,500 residents of the besieged port of Mariupol have been killed during the invasion and aid kept failing to reach the city because of Russian shelling, according to Ukrainian officials.

FIGHTING

* Kremlin said its campaign was going according to plan after one of Putin's allies made the strongest public acknowledgement yet that it was slower than hoped. read more

* A weekend strike at an army base in western Ukraine brought the fighting close to neighbouring NATO member Poland, though a British minister said it was "very unlikely" Russian missiles would land on NATO territory. read more

* Ukraine reported more air strikes on an airport in the west, heavy shelling on Chernihiv northeast of Kyiv and attacks on the southern town of Mykolayiv, where officials said nine people were killed. Ukraine's forces counter-attacked in Mykolayiv and the eastern Kharkiv region, an Interior Ministry official said.

REFUGEES

* About 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine, more than 1.7 million of them to Poland, according to the latest tally from the UN refugee agency. read more

ECONOMY AND MARKETS

* Stock markets firmed and oil prices eased on hopes for progress in Russian-Ukraine peace talks.

* The war in Ukraine must be stopped to prevent a global food crisis, Russia's coal and fertiliser billionaire Andrei Melnichenko said. read more * Russia's finance ministry approved foreign currency debt repayments, but warned they would be made in roubles if sanctions prevent banks from honouring debts in the issue currency. read more

COMING UP

* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will virtually address the U.S. Congress at 9 a.m (1300 GMT) on Wednesday read more

Register

Compiled by Lincoln Feast and Tomasz Janowski; Editing by Nick Macfie

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Visit link:

Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now - Reuters