Last updated at 21:30 PM IST
India has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of its neighbor, much to the chagrin of the US president. There have been claims that an attempt on President Zelenskyy's life has been thwarted.
- Claims have emerged that a possible Zelenskyy assassination has been thwarted
- Russia withdraws from peace treaty talks with Japan
- Joe Biden is not amused with India's reluctance to condemn the war
Zelensky urges Italy to seize yacht linked to the Kremlin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Italy to seize a yacht linked to Vladimir Putin in an address to the Italian parliament.
The organization of jailed Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny released a video linking the luxury Scheherazade yacht to the Kremlin. The superyacht is docked at the port of Marina di Carrara.
Zelensky asked the Italian parliament to "Support a ban on entering your ports for Russian ships, so that they feel the cost of their aggression."
Navalny's organization, the Anti-Corruption Foundation, said many of the crew were officials with the Russian Federal Protective Service (FSO) which guards Putin.
UK and Indian leaders urge respect for Ukraine's sovereignty
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that "Ukraine's territorial sovereignty must be respected."
The statement came in a readout of the call provided by Johnson's office.
According to the statement, the two leaders agreed that "Russia needed to adhere to the UN charter."
Johnson said both countries needed to intensify de-escalation efforts.
UN Secretary General says war is 'absurd' and 'unwinnable'
UN chief Antonio Guterres said Russia's invasion of Ukraine "is going nowhere fast."
Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, he decried the conflict as "absurd" and "unwinnable."
"Even if Mariupol falls, Ukraine cannot be conquered city by city, street by street, house by house," Guterres said.
He added "the only outcome" is "more suffering, more destruction, and more horror as far as the eye can see."
Guterres said negotiations to bring about the cessation of fighting were making progress
Kherson faces 'humanitarian catastrophe'
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 300,000 people in the Russian-occupied city of Kherson are running out of food and medical supplies. Kyiv also said Russia was preventing the evacuation of civilians to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
"Kherson’s 300k citizens face a humanitarian catastrophe owing to the Russian army’s blockade," said spokesman Oleg Nikolenko.
Protesters meet Roman Abramovich's yachts in Turkey
Two superyachts tied to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, among those sanctioned by the Western governments, have docked in Turkish resort towns.
A 163.5 meter jumbo yacht, the Eclipse, sailing under a Bermudan flag, docked in the town of Marmaris Tuesday, a day after the 139-meter-long Solaris jumbo yacht arrived in Bodrum.
In Bodrum, Ukrainian sailors protested, waving Ukrainian flags on an inflatable dingy, chanting, "Go away," and "No war in Ukraine," in English.
Turkey has not joined in Western sanctions against Russia and agents of the Russian state.
Former US Army Europe chief says Russia cannot win
Retired US Army General Ben Hodges, the former Commander-in-Chief of the US Army Europe, told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Russia "will not succeed militarily."
This week and next week will prove decisive in the war, said Hodges, who is currently with the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) think-tank.
He noted Russia's military has managed to destroy Mariupol without conquering it and said it was clear now Western analysts had mistaken the strength of the Russian army. Kyiv will also not be taken, he said.
Hodges also attributed the death of so many senior Russian military leaders to the hierarchical nature of the Russian forces which leaves senior leaders far more exposed than is the case with Western armies.
Russia tells world chess body to stay out of politics
Russia said the International Chess Federation (FIDE) should stay out of politics after it banned Russian grandmaster Sergey Karjakin for six months.
"We urge FIDE to reconsider this decision and still stay out of politics, thus confirming the international prestige of this chess organization," a Kremlin spokesman said.
Karjakin, one of the world's top chess players, has defended his country's actions and shared Russian propaganda on social media in recent weeks.
On Monday, FIDE banned him from its tournaments for six months over his outspoken support for the invasion. Last week, FIDE banned the Russia and Belarus teams from its tournaments, although individual players could still play.
Wildfires near Chernobyl extinguished
Ukraine's natural resources minister says multiple wildfires burning near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site have been extinguished.
The fires have raised concern about the possible release of radiation from the contaminated area around the disused plant, but Resources Minister Ruslan Strelets said the radiation levels are at normal levels.
Ukraine earlier said they were likely caused by artillery shelling or arson by Russian forces. Chernobyl has been in Russian hands since the early days of the invasion.
German Bundestag honors Holocaust survivor killed in Ukraine war
Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, paid tribute to Boris Romanchenko, who survived several Nazi concentration camps but was killed last week in a Russian strike on Kharkiv. Lawmakers held a moment of silence in memory of Romanchenko and other victims of the war.
"His death reminds us that Germany has a special historical responsibility toward Ukraine,'' said deputy speaker Katrin Goering-Eckardt.
"Boris Romanchenko is one of thousands of dead in Ukraine. Every single life that has been taken reminds us to do everything we can to stop this cruel war that violates international law and to help people in and from Ukraine," she added
Romanchenko, 96, was killed Friday, the Buchenwald concentration camp memorial institute reported on Monday. During World War II, he survived the camps at Buchenwald, Peenemünde, Dora and Bergen-Belsen.
Italy wants Ukraine in EU as Zelensky warns Ukraine is the 'gates of Europe'
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has addressed Italian lawmakers via a video link. He said his country was on the brink of surviving its war with Russia and warned the Kremlin wants to break through to the rest of Europe.
"For Russian troops, Ukraine is the gates of Europe, where they want to break in, but barbarism must not be allowed to pass," Zelensky told the parliament.
After the address Italy's Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, said he wanted Ukraine in the European Union.
"The arrogance of the Russian government has collided with the dignity of the Ukrainian people, who have managed to curb Moscow's expansionist aims and impose a huge cost on the invading army," Draghi told the Italian parliament.
Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner donates medal to fund Ukrainian refugees
Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov said he will auction off his Nobel medal and give the proceeds to Ukrainian refugees.
"There are already over 10 million refugees. I ask the auction houses to respond and put up for auction this world-famous award," Muratov wrote in Novaya Gazeta, the independent Russian newspaper of which he is the editor.
Muratov and Philippine journalists Maria Ressa shared the 2021 Nobel peace prize for their defense of freedom of speech.
During his acceptance speech in Oslo in December, Muratov warned that Russia's government was agitating toward war.
Earlier this month, Novaya Gazeta removed all material on Russia's military actions in Ukraine from its website because of censorship.
They said it was in response to threats of criminal prosecution of journalists and citizens who veer from the government's official line.
UN refugee agency says 3.5 million refugees fled Ukraine
The UN refugee agency says more than 3.3 million Ukrainian refugees have poured into neighboring countries since Russia's invasion on February 24.
The vast majority, more than 2 million, crossed the border into Poland, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said.
Germany's interior ministry said so far 232,462 refugees had made their way to the country. However, the actual number was probably higher because there are no regular checks at the German-Polish border.
People with Ukrainian passports can enter and move freely in the EU visa-free for at least 90 days.
On Monday, the International Organization for Migration said nearly 6.5 million people had been displaced inside Ukraine due to the war.
"The scale of human suffering and forced displacement due to the war far exceeds any worst-case scenario planning," IOM Antonio Vitorino, Director General of the International Organization for Migration said.
Ukraine's military holds Mariupol, according to UK intelligence
The UK's Ministry of Defense said Ukrainian forces continued to "repulse" Russian attempts to take over the southern port city of Mariupol.
Ukraine claims it has retaken strategically important Kyiv suburb
The Ukrainian military said its troops have driven Russian forces out of Makariv, a town about 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Kyiv.
The strategically important town was the scene of a fierce battle and has sustained significant damage from Russian shelling, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said, adding its recapture prevents Russian forces from encircling the capital from the northwest.
The "state flag of Ukraine was raised over the city of Makariv" as the Russians retreated, the ministry wrote in a post on Facebook.
DW could not confirm the claim by the Ukraine forces.
The intelligence assessment confirms Ukraine's Defense Ministry claim early on Tuesday that it forces were still defending the city.
On Sunday, Reuters reported that Russian forces held parts of Mariupol.
The port city has been besieged for more than three weeks and has seen some of the heaviest bombardment and fighting of the war.
Ukraine said efforts to evacuate civilians were focused on Mariupol but did not announce any new agreement with Russia to allow safe passage.
"We are focusing on evacuations from Mariupol," Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said. About 3,000 people were evacuated from the city on Monday.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called Russia's siege and bombardment of Mariupol "a massive war crime."
Ukraine's military holds Mariupol, according to UK intelligence
The UK's Ministry of Defense said Ukrainian forces continued to "repulse" Russian attempts to take over the southern port city of Mariupol.
The intelligence assessment confirms Ukraine's Defense Ministry claim early on Tuesday that it forces were still defending the city.
On Sunday, Reuters reported that Russian forces held parts of Mariupol.
The port city has been besieged for more than three weeks and has seen some of the heaviest bombardment and fighting of the war.
Ukraine said efforts to evacuate civilians were focused on Mariupol but did not announce any new agreement with Russia to allow safe passage.
"We are focusing on evacuations from Mariupol," Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said. About 3,000 people were evacuated from the city on Monday.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called Russia's siege and bombardment of Mariupol "a massive war crime."
Biden says India's response to war 'shaky'
US President Joe Biden said India's response to the war in Ukraine was "somewhat shaky" and an exception among Washington's allies.
Biden, during an address to a meeting of US business leaders in Washington on Monday, praised NATO, the European Union and Quad countries Japan and Australia, for their response to the war.
The so-called Quad countries, namely Australia, India, Japan, and United States, formed a security dialogue that was initiated by Tokyo in 2007 but Biden has been less than impressed with India's reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"The Quad is, with the possible exception of India being somewhat shaky on some of this, but Japan has been extremely strong — so has Australia — in terms of dealing with Putin's aggression," Biden said.
India has refused to condemn the Russian invasion so far and continues to purchase Russian oil.
Zelensky open to NATO compromise with Putin to gain cease-fire
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has told local media that he's willing to compromise on Ukraine not seeking NATO membership in exchange for a cease-fire.
"It's a compromise for everyone: for the West, which doesn't know what to do with us with regard to NATO, for Ukraine, which wants security guarantees, and for Russia, which doesn't want further NATO expansion," Zelenskyy said in an interview carried broadcast on local channels.
Zelenskyy again said that he was open for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine intelligence claims Zelensky assassination bid foiled
Ukrainian counter-intelligence has scuppered a possible attempt on the life of President Volodymyr Zelensky according to local media reports.
News agency UNIAN reported that a man belonging to group of Russian saboteurs was arrested in Uzhhorod, a city in the far west of the country.
The group of up to 25 men planned on pretending to be members of the Ukrainian armed forces in a bid to make their way towards Kyiv. The report states that the group was also planning on carrying out acts of sabotage.
Ukraine's government has claimed that Russia has sent a number of assassination squads to kill Zelensky.
The report could not be independently verified.
Pentagon accuses Moscow of 'indiscriminate' attacks
The US Department of Defense has accused Russia of attacking Ukrainian cities in an "indiscriminate" manner.
"Whether that's cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, artillery fire, they're lobbying an awful lot of hardware into the cities to try to
force their surrender," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. "And that's resulting in more civilian casualties, more damage to residential areas, hospitals, schools, and innocent victims at greater rates and greater numbers," Kirby said, adding: "In many ways, it's indiscriminate."
Russia pulls out of Japan peace treaty talks
Russia's Foreign Ministry says it has withdrawn from peace treaty negotiations with Japan, as a result of sanctions imposed by Tokyo over the invasion of Ukraine.
"Under the current conditions Russia does not intend to continue negotiations with Japan on a peace treaty," the foreign ministry said and cited Japan's "openly unfriendly positions and attempts to damage the interests of our country."
Last week Japan announced plans to revoke Moscow's trade status and expand freezing of assets against Russian individuals.
Russia and Japan have not officially ended World War II hostilities due to a dispute over islands north of Hokkaido.
And Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hit back at Russia's decision to withdraw from the peace treaty.
"The latest situation occurred as a result of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and Russia's attempt to shift the issue to Japan-Russia relations is extremely unjustified and absolutely unacceptable," he said in parliament.
Japan "strongly protests," he added, condemning Russia for its actions to "unilaterally change the status quo by force."
Summary of Monday's events in Ukraine-Russia crisis
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said again that he is ready to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin "in any format" but would also not bow to ultimatums from Russia to surrender.
Russian publication Komsomolskaya Pravda briefly published a casualty figure of nearly 10,000 deaths of Russian soldiers since the invasion of Ukraine on February 24 began, but then deleted it.
US President Joe Biden says Vladimir Putin is considering the use of biological and chemical weapons as a false flag attack, based on US intelligence assessments.
The Pentagon has accused Russian forces of committing war crimes in Ukraine and said it would help gather evidence of them.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that Russia's attacks on the Ukrainian coastal city of Mariupol amount to a "war crime."
German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lawmaker Michael Brand called for sanctions against former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder over his strong links with Russia.
Humanitarian organization Save the Children said upwards of 6 million children are in imminent danger as a growing number of hospitals and schools come under attack during Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
A Moscow court ruled in favor of Russia's FSB intelligence services on Monday, agreeing to label the US internet giant Meta (formerly Facebook) an "extremist organization."
