The United States (US) intends to provide Ukraine with $500mn in direct budgetary aid, the White House said on Wednesday, 30 March, after US President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Earlier, Russian forces struck a Red Cross facility in the southern Ukraine port city of Mariupol, Kyiv said, reported AFP.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will pay an official visit to India from 31 March to 1 April, the Ministry of External Affairs has said.
After 'successful' peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on Tuesday, Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia claimed that the results are sufficient for a meeting at the leaders' level, raising the possibility of a meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin.
Russia’s deputy defence minister had announced after the talks that Moscow has decided to “fundamentally...cut back” operations near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and Chernihiv to “increase mutual trust” at talks aimed at ending the war.
However, Ukraine said it was not entirely convinced with Russia's promise of scaling down military operations around Kyiv and Chernihiv.
Tuesday's talks appeared to be first major concession the Russians had made since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine
Ukraine proposed a permanent neutrality status in exchange for security guarantees from the west, at a meeting with Russian negotiators in Turkey.
Around 5,000 people have died since Russia's siege of Mariupol began, the city's mayor said
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US to Provide Ukraine With $500mn in Direct Budgetary Aid, Says White House After Biden-Zelenskyy Talk
The United States (US) intends to provide Ukraine with $500mn in direct budgetary aid, the White House said on Wednesday, 30 March, after US President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"President Biden informed President Zelensky that US intends to provide Ukraine with $500mn in direct budgetary aid. He also reviewed additional sanctions & humanitarian aid announced last week. Pres Zelensky updated Pres Biden on status of Ukraine’s negotiations with Russia," the White House said.
"US President Joe Biden & Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed how the US is working around the clock to fulfil the main security assistance requests by Ukraine, the critical effects those weapons have had on the conflict," they added.
After the meeting, Zelenskyy tweeted, "Just finished an hr-long conversation with Pres Biden. Shared assessment of situation on battlefield &at negotiating table. Talked about specific defensive support,a new package of enhanced sanctions, macro-financial &humanitarian aid."
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Ukrainian Missile May Have Military Camp Inside Russia: Reports
The Ukrainian forces may have struck a target inside Russia on Tuesday night.
An encampment, believed to be an arms depot in Belgorod, western Russia, was hit by a Ukrainian missile on Tuesday night, The Daily Mail reported.
Fireworks could be seen from Ukraine. Footage of the same has gone viral on social media. According to The Daily Mail, the blast site was just 12 miles from the Russian-Ukrainian border.
There were no casualties, said regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, according to the New York Post. However, according to the Russian news agency Tass, four Russian soldiers were injured in the missile attack.
The Ukrainian defence forces have not officially confirmed the missile strike.