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Russia's President Vladimir Putin says his country will continue its yearlong "special military operation" in Ukraine, and he accused the US-led NATO alliance of fanning the flames.
Russia-Ukraine conflict would have cost world economy $1.6 trillion in 2022, according to a study published by the German Economic Institute.
KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kyiv will not agree to any deal that would lead to a "frozen conflict" with Russia, the Ukrinform news agency reported on Wednesday.
"We will not settle for a frozen conflict... I am against it. We will definitely not have such a document," Zelensky said.
Zelensky said that the Minsk agreements, which had put an end to the intense military stage of the Donbass conflict several years ago, proved to be ineffective.
Russia withdrew from the Minsk agreements, when it attacked Ukraine on Feb. 24, Zelensky said.
The Minsk agreements, reached in September 2014 and February 2015 respectively, outlined the steps needed to end the conflict in Ukraine's eastern region of Donbass that started in April 2014.
MOSCOW - The Russian military announced on Wednesday that it will open a humanitarian corridor from Thursday to Saturday for the evacuation of civilians from the blocked Azovstal plant in Ukraine's Mariupol.
The corridor will be effective from 08:00 to 18:00 Moscow time (0500 to 1500 GMT) in the three days, the Joint Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response said in a statement.
During this period, Russian troops and the forces of Donetsk will unilaterally cease hostilities and ensure the withdrawal of civilians both to Russia and to areas controlled by Ukraine, it added.
MOSCOW - The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that 63 Japanese citizens, including top officials like Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, have been "permanently" barred from entering Russia.
"The administration of Kishida has launched an unprecedented anti-Russian campaign, allowing unacceptable rhetoric against the Russian Federation, including slander and direct threats," the ministry said in a statement.
"It is echoed by public figures, experts and media representatives of Japan, who are completely biased towards the attitudes of the West regarding our country," it added.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi are also blacklisted, among other government officials and lawmakers.
In addition, the entry ban applies to some media executives and university professors.
BRUSSELS - The European Union will phase out Russian crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of the year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday, announcing the sixth package of sanctions against Russia.
"We now propose a ban on Russian oil. This will be a complete import ban on all Russian oil, seaborne and pipeline, crude and refined," von der Leyen told lawmakers in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
The package also includes a new list of sanctioned Russian military officers and other individuals, the "de-SWIFTing" of Russia's biggest bank Sberbank and two other major banks, the cutting-off of three Russian state-owned broadcasters from European airwaves and a ban on services of EU-based accountants and consultants to Russian companies.
The sixth sanction package aims to deprive the Russian economy of "its ability to diversify and modernize," von der Leyen said.
The European Commission president also pledged financial support to address Ukraine's immediate needs but gave no further detail about its amount.
MOSCOW/KYIV -- Russian forces have been attacking the firing positions of the Ukrainian armed forces at the Azovstal steel plant in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
The fighters of the Azov Battalion and Ukrainian troops took advantage of the ceasefire at the steel plant to move into their firing positions, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Vadim Astafyev.
Artillery and aircraft were being used to destroy the firing positions, Astafyev added.
Russian troops were trying to break into the Azovstal plant from several places, the Ukrinform news agency reported Tuesday, citing Mariupol Patrol Police Chief Mykhailo Vershinin.
"There was artillery and aviation training for almost a day ... now they stormed the plant in several places. We are defending. We are fighting back," Vershinin was quoted as saying.
Both the Russian and Ukrainian militaries said on Monday that more than 100 people were evacuated from Mariupol, local media reported.
The European Union is moving toward phasing out Russia oil imports by the end of this year after Germany changed its mind but warned of major blowback on EU economies.
The move came after an EU decision last month to ban Russian coal imports starting in August.
German Vice-Chancellor and Economic Affairs Minister Robert Habeck said on Monday that Germany would be able to cope if Russian oil supplies were cut off by an embargo or a decision by Moscow to switch off the tap.
Habeck's comment, ahead of an EU energy ministers meeting on Monday in Brussels, marked a major shift in the German government's stance. Previously, German leaders had opposed the idea and said a ban on Russian oil and gas would cause an economic recession, massive unemployment and poverty at home. Germany is the largest EU importer of Russian oil, gas and coal, for which it paid more than 40 billion euros ($42 billion) last year.
Its change of attitude came after the European Commission indicated that it is not pushing for an immediate total ban, but rather a phaseout by the end of the year, to address Germany's concern and to minimize the negative impact on global oil markets.
The energy ministers also discussed on Monday the EU's sixth round of sanctions on Russia being drafted by the European Commission. Ambassadors from EU member states meeting on Wednesday would have to unanimously approve any plan for it to become effective.
The European Commission is expected to publish later this month plans to end the EU's dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2027, including expanding the renewable energy sector.
While expressing Germany's willingness to move toward cutting off Russian oil, Habeck warned of higher energy prices for EU consumers and a blow to EU economies.
Referring to the ban, he said, "We will be harming ourselves－that much is clear."
The EU receives about 40 percent of its gas imports and 26 percent of its oil imports from Russia.
Habeck, a former co-leader of Germany's Green party, said that the country has made "great progress "in finding alternatives to Russian coal and oil, "but other countries may need more time".
He cautioned that an embargo on Russian oil was an ambiguous weapon that could result in steep rises in energy prices, ultimately benefiting Moscow.
Reuters quoted two EU officials as saying that the EU may spare Hungary and Slovakia from an embargo on Russian oil. Both rely heavily on Russian fossil fuels.
Hungary has repeatedly voiced opposition to sanctions on Russian energy, emphasizing its concerns were economic, not political. Meanwhile, Poland and the Baltic states have been pushing for an immediate ban on Russian oil imports.
The EU energy ministers also discussed on Monday Russia's decision to cut gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria after the two countries failed to comply with Moscow's order to settle payments in roubles via Russia's Gazprombank.
The EU warned its member states on Monday that to use the system set up by Russia would breach EU sanctions. Several EU companies have said that they would comply with Russia's demand because a cutoff would damage the economy and many member states expressed they were not sure of the exact guidelines on the issue.
Kadri Simon, the European commissioner for energy and an Estonian politician, said at a news conference on Monday after the energy ministers' meeting that Russia's decision constitutes "an unjustified breach of existing contracts and a warning that any member state could be next".
Agencies contributed to the story.
KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country may put the issue of neutral status on a nationwide referendum, the Ukrinform news agency reported Tuesday.
If Russia's desire for Ukraine's neutral status is one of the provisions of the agreements on ending the conflict, "we are ready to consider this neutral status for Ukraine," Zelensky said.
However, the referendum would be possible only after Ukraine receives security guarantees from "specific countries", he added.
At the peace talks with Russia in Istanbul, Turkey in March, Kyiv proposed to sign a new international treaty on security guarantees, which enshrines obligations for the guarantor countries to provide Ukraine with military assistance in the event of an attack.
In 2014, the Ukrainian parliament renounced Ukraine's "non-aligned" status with the aim of deepening cooperation with NATO.
MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Tuesday on retaliatory sanctions against individuals and entities in response to their "unfriendly actions" over the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The measures will be taken in retaliation to "the unfriendly actions of the United States, foreign states and international organizations ... which aimed at illegally depriving Russia, Russian citizens and Russian legal entities of property rights or restricting their property rights," and with the aim of "protecting the national interests of Russia," according to the decree.
The document prohibits fulfilling obligations with foreign individuals and entities under sanctions, concluding deals or carrying out transactions with them. Moreover, Russia will ban the export of raw materials and products from Russia to those it has sanctioned.
The decree does not provide any details of which individuals or entities may be affected by the measures. The Russian government was ordered to compile a list of individuals under sanctions within 10 days.
Russia is not looking to end its special military operation in Ukraine by Victory Day on May 9, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, as the country looks set to mark the anniversary.
Speaking with Italian outlet Mediaset on Sunday, Lavrov insisted Moscow would not rush to wrap up its "special military operation" in time for the anniversary, which celebrates Nazi Germany's surrender to allied forces－including the then Soviet Union－in 1945.
"Our military will not artificially adjust their actions to any date, including Victory Day," Lavrov said. "The pace of the operation in Ukraine depends, first of all, on the need to minimize any risks for the civilian population and Russian military personnel."
Lavrov noted the operation was particularly aimed at ensuring the safety of civilians and making sure that there were no threats from Ukraine to civilians and Russia, "which would be related to offensive weapons and the spread of Nazi ideas that the West is trying to downplay".
Media representatives in Moscow, including China Daily, have already received approval by the Kremlin for participation in this year's May 9 military parade in Red Square.
In total, 11,000 servicemen, 131 weapons, military and special equipment, as well as 77 aircraft and helicopters will take part in the Victory Parade, but Moscow did not invite any of the foreign leaders to Red Square, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Ukrainian civilians holed up inside a steel plant in Mariupol under siege by Russian forces for nearly two months began evacuating over the weekend and people sheltering elsewhere in the city were set to leave on Monday.
Video posted online on Sunday by Ukrainian forces showed elderly women and mothers with small children climbing over a steep pile of rubble from the sprawling Azovstal steel plant and eventually boarding a bus.
More than 100 civilians were expected to arrive in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.
Sviatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, urged groups like the United Nations and the Red Cross to ensure the safety of those being evacuated.
UN humanitarian spokesman Saviano Abreu said civilians arriving in Zaporizhzhia, about 230 kilometers northwest of Mariupol, would get immediate support, including psychological services.
Separately, recent weeks have seen a number of fires and explosions in Russian regions near the border.
An explosive device damaged a railway bridge on Sunday in the Kursk region which borders Ukraine, and a criminal investigation has been started, the region's government said.
Later that day, a fire occurred on the territory of the Russian Defense Ministry's facility on the border of three municipalities of the Belgorod Region.
Agencies contributed to the story.
BERLIN - Consumer sentiment in Germany fell to a new all-time low in May after already plummeting massively because of the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the German Retail Federation (HDE) said on Monday.
Although the deterioration in consumer sentiment in Germany was much less pronounced than in the previous month, the outlook for private consumption in the coming three months "remains gloomy", the HDE noted.
The development of consumer sentiment was currently dominated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while the COVID-19 pandemic "moved into the background" in view of eased COVID-19 measures, according to the HDE.
As the further course of the conflict was "uncertain and its economic impact cannot be fully assessed, the gloomy mood among consumers is likely to persist and dampen private consumption in the coming weeks", the HDE noted.
The HDE consumer barometer based on a monthly survey among 1,600 German consumers dropped for the sixth month in a row. The index measures sentiment over the next three months.
KIEV -- Ukraine will continue the evacuation from the besieged city of Mariupol which began on Sunday afternoon, head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak said on Sunday evening.
In the first stage, Ukraine evacuated from Mariupol 100 women, children and elders, who will arrive in Ukraine's southern city of Zaporizhzhia, Yermak said on Facebook.
He thanked the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross for their support for the evacuation efforts.
According to Petro Andryushchenko, an advisor to the mayor of Mariupol, the evacuation began at 4 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) on Sunday.
The evacuation from Mariupol was the centerpiece of talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday.
Mariupol, a key Azov Sea port city in eastern Ukraine, saw one of the worst bouts of violence in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
More than 50 civilians were evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine, on Saturday after a cease-fire was introduced.
Captain Svyatoslav Palamar, the deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, said the cease-fire, which was supposed to begin at 6 am local time, started instead at 11 am.
"We hope that this process will be further extended and we will successfully evacuate all civilians," he said.
Russia said 46 civilians had left the area near the Azovstal plant on Saturday.
Mariupol is the largest Ukrainian city on the Sea of Azov, one of the key metallurgical centers of the Donbass region and a seaport. The Azovstal steel plant was considered to be the last Ukrainian holdout in Mariupol.
There are thought to be hundreds of people inside the steel complex, including dozens injured during an intense Russian bombardment over the past several weeks. The latest satellite images show that many of the plant's buildings have been reduced to rubble.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by telephone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday and reaffirmed his willingness to work actively during his second term of office "to restore the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine".
An Elysee Palace statement said Macron expressed concern about the continued bombing of Ukrainian cities and the "unbearable" situation in Mariupol.
The phone call was made as actress Angelina Jolie, who is also a United Nations special envoy for refugees, visited a boarding school and medical institution in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
The UN Refugee Agency's head of global communications, Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams, told CNN on Saturday that Jolie "is traveling to the region in her personal capacity and (the UN High Commissioner for Refugees) has no involvement" in the visit.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Yermakov, the head of nuclear nonproliferation for Russia's Foreign Ministry, was quoted by Russian news agency Tass as saying on Saturday that dialogue between Moscow and Washington on strategic stability is formally "frozen".
Yermakov said those contacts could be resumed once Russia completes what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.
He said Moscow believed the United States intended to finalize projects to deploy medium- and short-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
"The emergence of such weapons in those regions will further worsen the situation and fuel the arms race," he said.
Yermakov also said that the risks of nuclear war should be kept to a minimum and any armed conflict between nuclear powers should be prevented.
Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for Russia's defense ministry, said Russian aircraft struck five Ukrainian ammunition depots on Saturday.
Agencies contributed to this story.
Kyiv - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that he had discussed defensive support for Ukraine with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The two sides talked about the situation on the battlefield and the blocked city of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine, Zelensky said on Twitter, adding necessary diplomatic efforts to achieve peace was another topic of the conversation.
Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian leader said he had discussed defense cooperation in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron.
US President Joe Biden is seeking the biggest package yet of military and other aid to Ukraine, with a request to Congress on Thursday to send the Eastern European nation $33 billion, raising the stakes in its conflict with Russia. But analysts fear the increasingly growing military assistance will not do any good but escalate tension on the Ukraine crisis.
The latest proposal, which includes more than $20 billion for weapons, ammunition and other military assistance, drew heated debate on social media. The package also includes $8.5 billion in direct economic assistance to the Ukrainian government and $3 billion in humanitarian aid.
The $20 billion in US military assistance is about a third of Russia's defense budget last year.
Just a week ago, Biden announced that the United States would provide Ukraine with an additional package of security assistance worth $800 million, the eighth batch of such aid since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out on Feb 24.
If the latest White House package is approved, overall aid to Ukraine will reach $46.6 billion.
"It is clear that the West is interested in prolonging the conflict as much as possible in order to inflict maximum damage on Russia," said Dmitry Suslov, deputy director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow.
Suslov said the West aims to deplete Russia's military resources, hurt its economy and weaken the country politically.
Kyryl Molchanov, deputy director of the think tank Ukrainian Institute of Politics, said it is difficult to completely isolate Russia since it has vast land with rich natural resources.
The US' latest round of monetary assistance also generated vociferous reactions on Thursday, highlighting domestic woes.
"Now $33 billion more to fuel the war in Ukraine. Given the predictions/hopes of US officials that this will last years, not months, it's hard to see any end to this cash drain to Raytheon and friends," wrote journalist Glenn Greenwald on Twitter. "And that's all independent of the escalation risks. Which Americans benefit?"
"I've got veterans lined up outside my food bank waiting for peanut butter right now and y'all wanna send $33 BILLION more to Zelenskyy," tweeted Lavern Spicer, a Republican congressional candidate in Florida.
"Forget about cancelling student debt, Biden wants $33 Billion more to fund a NATO war against Russia," educator Manolo De Los Santos tweeted.
"The economy just contracted by almost 2%, inflation is at a 40 year high and the border is wide open. What did Biden do today to address these issues? He is demanding congress provide UKRAINE an additional $33 billion of your tax dollars," tweeted author George Papadopoulos, a former adviser to Donald Trump.
Massive military supplies from the West, including many portable smaller weapon systems, have raised public concerns over a dangerous proliferation of arms across Europe.
In a recent article titled What happens to weapons sent to Ukraine? The US doesn't really know, CNN reported that the US has few ways to track its weaponry delivered to Ukraine.
On Friday, the Kremlin said the proposal by Biden to allow US officials to seize Russian assets and use the funds to support Ukraine would amount to illegal expropriation. The proposal would let US officials seize more Russian oligarchs' assets, give the cash from those seizures to Ukraine, and further criminalize sanctions dodging.
Russia has over $600 billion worth of foreign currency reserves held in dollars, gold and other currencies, with about half of them believed to be frozen by the restrictions imposed by Western governments on its central bank.
The head of Russia's central bank has said it was preparing to take legal action to challenge the freeze.
Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.
hengweili@chinadailyusa.com
KYIV -- Kyiv is willing to seize Russian assets to finance Ukraine's post-conflict recovery, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Thursday.
"The funds of the Russian government and oligarchs will be one of the main sources for filling the Fund for the Reconstruction of our country," Shmyhal wrote on Telegram.
Ukraine is in talks with the countries of the Group of Seven over the seizure of Russia's assets, Shmyhal said, adding that Canada has already prepared legislation for such actions.
Earlier, Shmyhal said that his cabinet has set up a recovery fund for Ukraine's long-term reconstruction and estimated that the country's full-scale recovery will cost around $600 billion.
Russia has over $600 billion worth of foreign currency reserves held in dollars, gold and other currencies, with about half of them believed to be frozen by the restrictions imposed by Western governments on its central bank.
The head of Russia's central bank has said it was preparing to take legal action to challenge the freeze.
Guterres renews call for end to fighting in Ukraine, amid EU energy concerns
BORODIANKA, Ukraine－The United Nations chief on Thursday renewed a call for an end to hostilities in Ukraine during a visit to the country as part of efforts by the world body to expand humanitarian support for civilians in conflict zones.
The diplomatic activity comes as European leaders find themselves looking at ways to shore up the region's energy security after Russia cut gas supplies to some members of the European Union. Energy giants serving the region are reportedly scrambling to find alternative sources of supply, with some considering whether to pay for Russian gas in roubles－a demand from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
For UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the focus was firmly on the plight of civilians as he visited Borodianka outside the capital Kyiv, an AFP journalist on the scene reported. Guterres arrived in Ukraine late on Wednesday.
Guterres said the UN will continue the work to expand humanitarian support and secure the evacuation of civilians, and he urged the end of hostilities.
"The sooner this war ends, the better－for the sake of Ukraine, Russia, and the world," the UN chief said.
"I imagine my family in one of those houses, now destroyed and black. I see my granddaughters running away in panic. The war is an absurdity in the 21st century."
Osnat Lubrani, a UN coordinator in Ukraine, said on Thursday that she was preparing for a "hopeful "evacuation from the southeastern port city of Mariupol, where Kyiv says injured fighters are trapped.
Guterres was meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later in the visit, which follows talks with Putin in Moscow on Tuesday.
Guterres was also expected to visit Bucha and Irpin, communities that have drawn global attention during the conflict.
Tough response warned
Putin has said that if Western forces, which are supplying increasingly heavy weaponry to Kyiv, intervene in Ukraine, they will face a "lightning-fast" military response.
However, US President Joe Biden asked Congress for new powers to seize and repurpose the assets of Russian oligarchs as part of a new funding request to aid Ukraine. He made the remarks at the White House on Thursday morning.
As the gas row heats up, Austrian energy group OMV, one of the largest importers of Russian gas, is preparing to open rouble accounts at Gazprombank in Switzerland, the Financial Times said on Thursday.
Russian energy giant Gazprom cut gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday after they did not meet Moscow's demand for payment in roubles.
Austria's government said on Wednesday that Russian natural gas deliveries were continuing unrestricted and there was no indication that would change, despite the scramble to find alternative sources.
The Financial Times said Italy's Eni, another of Gazprom's large customers, was evaluating its options. The Italian government-backed company has until the end of May, when its next payment for Russian supplies is due, to make a final call, the newspaper said, citing Italian officials.
An OMV spokesperson told Reuters the company was working on a sanctions-compliant solution but declined to specify whether this meant using rouble accounts as the newspaper reported. Eni declined to comment.
In another development, Russia announced on Wednesday it was withdrawing from the United Nations World Tourism Organization just hours before the body's assembly voted to temporarily suspend the country's membership, officials said.
In developments on the battlefield, Ukraine's General Staff says Russia is increasing the pace of its offensive in the east of the country, with the goal of taking full control of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions and securing a land corridor to Crimea. The Russian forces "are exerting intense fire" in almost all directions, the General Staff said in a Thursday morning update, with the "greatest activity observed in Slobozhanske and Donetsk directions".
Agencies - Xinhua
BRUSSELS - The applications by Finland and Sweden to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will be processed quickly should the Scandinavian countries choose to do so, the military alliance's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Thursday.
"If they decide to apply, Finland and Sweden will be welcomed with open arms to NATO. Finland and Sweden are our closest partners," Stoltenberg told reporters at the European Parliament in Brussels.
Both Finland and Sweden have long pursued a policy of military non-alignment. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, NATO has failed to win over the two countries several times.
But the two countries have made some changes in their positions in face of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, delivering weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.
"We know that their armed forces meet NATO standards, are interoperable with NATO forces. We train together, we exercise together and we have also worked together with Finland and Sweden in many different missions and operations," Stoltenberg said.
He also addressed the security of Finland and Sweden during the interim period between the two countries' potential applications and the date they become actual members of the organization, saying that "we will be able to find arrangements" so that "no uncertainty" is left.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said during her visit to Greece on Thursday that Finland's decision on its membership in NATO would be taken very soon.
"The parliament and the government of Finland together with the President will assess all implications of the new security situation and will have to consider the question of whether to apply for membership of NATO," Marin said in a joint statement after talks with her Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The two countries' potential application for NATO membership has been in the spotlight since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as they are both neighbors of Russia. Finland shares a 1,340-km border with Russia.
When answering a question about the prospect of the countries which may join NATO, Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters earlier this month that further expansion of NATO, including the admission of Finland and Sweden into the alliance, will not contribute to security in Europe.
"In itself, the alliance is rather a tool sharpened for confrontation. This is not an alliance that ensures peace and stability. Further expansion of the alliance, of course, will not bring additional security to the European continent," the Kremlin spokesman said.
KyiV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday discussed the evacuation of people from the besieged city of Mariupol, the presidential press service reported.
Ukraine is ready for urgent talks to evacuate people from Mariupol and hopes that the participation of the UN secretary-general in this mission would help the evacuation efforts, Zelensky told reporters after the meeting.
"We see that despite the words of the Russian President (Vladimir Putin) about the alleged cessation of hostilities in Mariupol, the territory of the Azovstal plant is under barbaric bombing by the Russian army," Zelensky said.
He also called on the UN chief to make efforts to stop the "deportation" of Ukrainian citizens to Russia and return home Ukrainians from Russia.
For his part, Guterres said that he is doing his best to save people in Mariupol.
"We will continue to call for a complete ceasefire, as well as for immediate practical measures to save lives and minimize human suffering," the UN chief said.
He stressed the need for effective humanitarian corridors from Mariupol and local cessation of hostilities.
Guterres arrived in Ukraine on Wednesday to talk with Zelensky, after visiting Moscow on Tuesday.
Mariupol, a key Azov Sea port city in eastern Ukraine, saw one of the worst violence in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday he had discussed further support for Kyiv, including macro-financial assistance, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The parties talked about the 6th sanctions package on Russia, which would include oil embargo, Zelensky tweeted.
The Ukrainian leader also said that he thanked the European Commission for deciding to abolish tariffs and quotas on Ukrainian industrial goods and foods.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the EU stands ready to lift import duties on Ukrainian goods for a year.
KYIV - Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on Wednesday that no agreement has been reached on a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.
"The time of the meeting of the presidents of the two countries and the context of the meeting have not been determined yet," Podolyak, also a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the peace talks with Russia, was quoted as saying.
Consultations at the level of working subgroups, which are preparing the positions of the parties in legal terms, are underway, Podolyak said.
Earlier Wednesday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Turkey hopes that a meeting between Zelensky and Putin would take place in the next few days, according to media reports.
