(Photo : SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images)
UKRAINE-POLITICS-VOTE-RUSSIA-PROTEST
An activist sets up cardboard cutouts depicting presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin prior to a protest themed 'Down with the fifth column of Ukrainian policy' in the center of Kiev on March 29, 2019, displaying the pro-Russian candidates ahead of the presidential election on March 31. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP)
According to reports, Vladimir Putin has "finally consented" to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in person for peace negotiations.
After the bombing of an art school and theater in Mariupol, where people were a refuge, the Russian despot is expected to meet with Zelensky at some time.
Zelensky Warns Putin of World War 3
Since the crisis began on February 24, the two presidents have let their diplomatic teams undertake peace negotiations on neutral ground, but a BBC journalist today verified the two would meet in person.
Putin has accepted that he will have to lead the discussions at some point in the future, according to BBC's Lyse Doucet. Yesterday, Zelensky warned that Russia would "go down in history as a perpetrator of war crimes" and condemned the invaders' bombing and siege of Mariupol, the southern port city that airstrikes and missiles have hammered for weeks.
Since the beginning of the war on February 24, when Putin initiated what he calls a unique military operation to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine, Mariupol, a critical link to the Black Sea, has been a target.
Ukraine and the West accuse Putin of launching an unjustified aggressive campaign. As of Friday, the UN human rights office reported that at least 847 people had been killed and 1,399 injured in Ukraine, 112 children were slain, according to the Ukrainian prosecutor general's office.
In addition, Russia bombed an art school and a theater where hundreds of people had sought refuge from air raids. Satellite photographs published on Saturday revealed the crumbled remnants of the theater, where at least 1,300 people are believed to be trapped, including women and babies, Daily Mail reported.
Zelensky Mention the Significance of NATO for Ukraine
While a 15-point plan between Russia and Ukraine is taking form, a top advisor to Zelensky claimed on Tuesday that it is completely made up of Russian demands. The list included demands that Ukraine withdraws its desire for NATO membership, proclaim neutrality, and, most importantly for Russia, never allow military bases or weaponry from Western allies such as the United States to be stationed within its borders.
Despite indicating last week that his nation would never join NATO, Zelensky underlined that membership would be a big gain for Ukraine and could have helped avert hostilities with Russia entirely, as per Newsweek via MSN.
As the one-month anniversary of Russia's invasion approaches this week, the Ukrainian leader spoke out. According to US intelligence services, Ukraine has fought the onslaught on numerous fronts and has delivered thousands of fatalities to Russia's military forces in a few weeks. The magnitude of the loss is equivalent to the US losses in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade.
The civilian population of Ukraine has also suffered significant losses. According to UN reports, over 800 people have perished since the fighting began.
President Zelensky, on the other hand, stated that the terrible war was doing havoc on Ukraine's civilian population. In recent weeks, millions of Ukrainians have abandoned their motherland.
As the expense of the Biden administration's response rises, US senators continue to urge for additional military and humanitarian help to be delivered to Ukraine.
The United States has pledged not to get involved in a scenario that may lead to a direct military war with Russia, but it has sent anti-air, anti-tank, and other heavy equipment to Ukraine's armed forces. There have been strong cautions to Russia's potential partners not to do the same.
These concerns culminated in a meeting in Europe last week between White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and top Chinese officials to discuss whether Russia would get economic or military help from Beijing in its invasion. China's envoy to the United States denied that such assistance would be provided on Sunday, according to Independent.
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