- Ukrainian and Russian officials have confirmed that new face-to-face talks will take place this week. Turkey said the meeting would be held in Istanbul.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his government was “carefully” considering Russia’s request for neutrality ahead of the talks.
- US President Joe Biden said he was not calling for regime change in Russia in a speech in which he said President Vladimir Putin “cannot stay in power”.
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said NATO was not aiming to remove Putin from power.
Here are the latest updates:
Biden says he’s not calling for regime change in Russia
US President Joe Biden said he was not calling for regime change in Russia, saying President Vladimir Putin “cannot continue to be in power”.
Asked by a reporter in Washington, DC if he would call for regime change in Moscow, Biden said: “No.”
Biden made his first remarks last week in a speech in Poland in which he also called Putin a “butcher” and said the world must prepare for a “long war ahead.” “. Several US officials have since emphasized that Biden is not calling for regime change in Moscow.
NATO does not seek regime change in Russia: Scholz
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the NATO military alliance was not aimed at removing Vladimir Putin from power, a day after US President Joe Biden branded Putin a “butcher” and said he “cannot continue”. power”.
“That’s not NATO’s goal, nor is the US president’s goal,” Scholz told Germany’s state-run ARD television channel.
“I had the opportunity to speak at length with him at the White House and we also discussed these questions,” he added.
Ukraine asserts territorial integrity in new negotiations with Russia
President Zelenskyy said Ukraine will assert its sovereignty and territorial integrity at the next round of negotiations with Russia.
“Our priorities in the negotiations are known: Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity are unquestionable,” he said in a video speech. “It must be effective in terms of security. Obviously, our goal is peace and a return to normal life in our country as soon as possible.”
Germany closes eyes to buy missile defense system
Prime Minister Olaf Scholz said Germany was considering buying a missile defense system to shield against a potential attack from Russia.
“This is definitely one of the issues we are discussing, and for good reason,” he told public broadcaster ARD when asked if Germany could buy a defense system.
He added: “We need to know that we have a neighbor who is willing to use violence to enforce their interests.
In the same interview, the Chancellor also mentioned Germany’s decision to become more energy independent and said the country would have to accept higher energy costs.
Scholz said keeping Germany’s nuclear power plants running longer would not help, but he noted that the timing of the country’s coal exit plan depends on how quickly the country is achieved. this in the expansion of renewable energy.
Russia blocks Ukraine’s Black Sea coast: British military intelligence
British military intelligence says Russia is maintaining a blockade far from Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, which is isolating Ukraine from international maritime trade.
The Russian Defense Ministry added that the Russian navy is also continuing to conduct sporadic missile attacks against targets throughout Ukraine.
Before the new negotiations, Zelensky considers Russia to ask for neutrality
President Volodymyr Zelensky said his government was “carefully” considering Russia’s request for Ukraine’s neutrality, a key point of contention as negotiators on both sides prepared for a round of talks. to end the brutal month-long war.
“This point of the negotiations is understandable to me and it is being discussed, it is being thoroughly studied,” Zelensky said in an interview with several independent Russian news organizations.
Read more this.
Russia plans ‘North Korea scenario’ for Ukraine: Intelligence chief
Russia is considering “a North Korean scenario” for Ukraine and split the country in two after it failed to capture the capital Kyiv and topple its government, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “will try to establish a dividing line between the occupied and uninhabited regions of our country,” said General Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Intelligence Department of the Defense Ministry, speak on Sunday as reported by the ministry’s Telegram account.
Read more this.
The next round of negotiations will be held this week
The delegations of Russia and Ukraine will meet for talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, the Presidents of Turkey and Russia have agreed.
No date has been given for the meeting. Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia said the talks would resume on Monday, while the head of the Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky said they would begin on Tuesday.
Welcome to Al Jazeera’s ongoing coverage of the war in Ukraine. Read all updates from Sunday, March 27 this.
