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ABC News
ABC News
National
Dannielle Maguire and Nicholas McElroy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for more sanctions against Russia as talks continue: As it happened

ABC News Channel live stream

Russia's financial sector and economy is already being crippled by sanctions, but Ukraine's president wants more, calling for an embargo against Russia.

Look back at Monday's Ukraine coverage as it happened.

Key events

Live updates

By Paul Johnson

Closing this blog

Thanks all for reading another day and night of our coverage.

At present we are waiting for news on talks on the border as information has slowed out of major areas of Ukraine b ut we will be back in a couple of hours when my colleague Peta Fuller starts a new blog.

By Paul Johnson

Key Event

Australia lands on Russia's 'unfriendly countries' list

Russia said on Monday that all corporate deals with companies and individuals from what it called "unfriendly countries" would now have to be approved by a government commission.

The government said it had approved a list of countries and territories taking "unfriendly actions" against Russia, its companies and citizens, in the wake of severe economic sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.

The list follows a presidential decree on March 5 allowing the Russian government, companies and citizens to temporarily pay foreign currency debts owed to overseas creditors from "unfriendly countries" in roubles.

The rouble has been crippled by the economic sanctions placed on Russia by Western nations.

Australia landed on the list with a large number of Western nations, which also included Ukraine, who it is fighting a war against, and Taiwan.

The latter is interesting as China which has refused to condemn Russia does not recognise Taiwan.

A government statement showed the list of countries included Albania, Andorra, Australia, Great Britain, including Jersey, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Gibraltar, EU member states, Iceland, Canada, Liechtenstein, Micronesia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, San Marino, North Macedonia, Singapore, US, Taiwan, Ukraine, Montenegro, Switzerland, and Japan.

To make such payments, the government said debtors should open a special type of rouble account with a Russian bank and transfer into it the rouble equivalent of the foreign currency amount owed according to the central bank's official exchange rate on the day of payment.

This temporary arrangement for paying foreign debts applies to payments exceeding 10 million roubles a month.

By Paul Johnson

1.7 million Ukrainians have fled, says UN Human Rights agency

More than 1.7 million Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion have so far crossed into Central Europe, the United Nation's refugee agency said on Monday, as thousands more streamed across the borders.

Poland, which has the largest Ukrainian community in Central Europe, has received more than 1 million Ukrainian refugees since the conflict began on February 24, with the milestone passed late on Sunday.

"This is a million human tragedies, a million people banished from their homes by the war," the Polish border guard service tweeted late on Sunday.

A total of 1,735,068 civilians, mostly women and children, as men stayed home to fight, have so far crossed the border into Central Europe, the UNHCR said.

The European Union could see as many as 5 million Ukrainian refugees if Russia's bombardment of Ukraine continues, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation".

Reporting by Reuters

By Paul Johnson

Lviv at capacity, Mayor needs help with refugees

The mayor of Lviv says the western Ukrainian city had reached the limits of its capacity to help people displaced by Russia's assault on Ukraine and appealed to international organisations for help.

Mayor Andriy Sadoviy said several hundred thousand people had already passed through Lviv as they headed west seeking safety.

Some 200,000 internally displaced persons were now staying in Lviv, and 50,000 were going through Lviv railway station daily.

"We understand there will be another wave (of refugees) ... and call on international humanitarian organisations to come here and help," he said. 

By Bridget Judd

WHO confirms additional attacks on Ukraine health care

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed to Reuters that seven attacks have occurred on health care infrastructure in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion, up from four the previous day.

"As of 7 March, nine verified incidents of attacks on health care in Ukraine have been published on the Surveillance System of Attacks on Healthcare (SSA), seven with "Confirmed" certainty level, and two with "possible" certainty level," a WHO official said in an email, referring to its database.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Twitter that "several" attacks had occurred, without giving details, adding they were a violation of international humanitarian law. 

Six of the seven confirmed attacks involved heavy weaponry, the database showed.

One involved individual weapons, such as grenades or improvised explosive devices, on an ambulance on February 26.

The confirmed attacks together caused six deaths and 12 injuries.

"They (health facilities) are protected by the international humanitarian law but it is still happening again," Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told journalists on Monday.

"This is very sad."

By Bridget Judd

Ukranian negotiator urges Russia to halt attacks as third round of talks begin

Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak has urged Russia to halt attacks on civilians ahead of a third round of talks with Russian officials on Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

As we heard earlier this evening, talks were slated to begin at 4:00pm Kyiv time (that's around 12:00am AEST/1:00am AEDT).

"In a few minutes, we will start talking to representatives of a country that seriously believes large-scale violence against civilians is an argument. Prove that this is not the case," he said on Twitter a short time ago.

By Bridget Judd

US seeks to calm Baltic states' fears that Putin 'will not stop in Ukraine'

 
In case you missed it, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has sought to reassure Washington's Baltic allies on a visit to the region, where he heard concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin could go beyond his invasion of Ukraine in redrawing the borders of Europe.

Mr Blinken spent the weekend in Ukraine's neighbours Poland and Moldova before visiting Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, NATO members that were once ruled from Moscow and fear they could face Russian aggression next.

Addressing Mr Blinken, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda warned that Mr Putin "will not stop in Ukraine" and that the world had an obligation to help Ukrainians "by all means available" to avoid a third World War.

"Deterrence is no longer enough and we need forward defence here in place because otherwise it will be too late here, Mr Secretary. Putin will not stop in Ukraine if he will not be stopped," Mr Nauseda said.

Mr Blinken said NATO was continuously reviewing its defence posture, including by looking at more permanent deployments, as Baltic countries have requested.

"No one should doubt our readiness, no one should doubt our resolve," Mr Blinken said.

Reuters

By Bridget Judd

Russia likely seeking to reduce Ukraine's access to news, UK intelligence says

Russia is probably targeting Ukraine's communication infrastructure to reduce access to reliable news sources, Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Monday.

"Russia is probably targeting Ukraine's communications infrastructure in order to reduce Ukrainian citizens' access to reliable news and information," a defence intelligence update posted on Twitter said.

"Ukrainian internet access is also highly likely being disrupted as a result of collateral damage from Russian strikes on infrastructure."

By Bridget Judd

UN confirms more than 400 civilian deaths in Ukraine

The United Nations' human rights office said on Monday it had confirmed the deaths of 406 civilians, including 27 children, in Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion.

But it said the real figure was likely to be much higher.

The latest figures from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which has a monitoring mission in Ukraine, cover the period from February 24 to March 6.

The figure compared with 364 confirmed deaths in its report on Sunday

By Bridget Judd

Key Event

Kremlin says Russian military action will stop ‘in a moment’ if Ukraine meets conditions

Reporting by Reuters

Russia is demanding that Ukraine cease military action, change its constitution to enshrine neutrality, acknowledge Crimea as Russian territory and recognise the separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent territories, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Mr Peskov told Reuters that Russia had told Ukraine it was ready to halt its military action "in a moment" if Kyiv met its conditions.

It was the most explicit Russian statement so far of the terms it wants to impose on Ukraine to halt what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine, now in its 12th day.

Mr Peskov said Ukraine was aware of the conditions.

"And they were told that all this can be stopped in a moment."

On the issue of neutrality, he said:

"They should make amendments to the constitution according to which Ukraine would reject any aims to enter any bloc. This is possible only by making changes to the constitution."

The Kremlin spokesman insisted Russia was not seeking to make any further territorial claims on Ukraine.

"We really are finishing the demilitarisation of Ukraine. We will finish it. But the main thing is that Ukraine ceases its military action. They should stop their military action and then no one will shoot," he said.

"They should make amendments to their constitution according to which Ukraine would reject any aims to enter any bloc. We have also spoken about how they should recognise that Crimea is Russian territory and that they need to recognise that Donetsk and Lugansk are independent states. And that’s it. It will stop in a moment."

By Bridget Judd

Key Event

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine 'never wanted this war'

In an address posted on Volodymyr Zelenskyy's official Telegram channel, the Ukranian Prime Minister says Ukranians are enduring "what no other European nation has seen in 80 years".

"And it is on our land that it is decided whether someone else in Europe will fall victim to the same aggression," he says.

"I'm telling this to the leaders of the world and I hear that they agree.

"We decide the future of the continent."

If the war does not come to an end, Mr Zelenskyy added, "then a new sanctions package is needed".

"New sanctions, steps against war and for peace.

"Boycott of Russian exports. In particular, the refusal of oil and petroleum products from Russia.

"This can be called an embargo. Or just morality."

By Bridget Judd

Top Russian, Ukrainian diplomats to meet Thursday in Turkey

 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba have agreed to meet at a forum in southern Turkey on Thursday, the first potential talks between the top diplomats since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey's foreign minister, made the announcement on Monday and said he would attend the meeting in the resort city of Antalya.

Russia's foreign ministry confirmed the plan.

NATO member Turkey, which shares a maritime border with Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea, had been offering to mediate between the sides.

Ankara has good relations with both Moscow and Kyiv, and has called Russia's invasion unacceptable even as it opposes sanctions against Moscow.

Mr Cavusoglu said that in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, President Tayyip Erdogan repeated Turkey's offer to host the meeting and Mr Lavrov later accepted.

"We especially hope that this meeting is a turning point and...an important step towards peace and stability," he said, adding both ministers had asked for him to join the talks.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed the meeting on Telegram.

Reuters

By Bridget Judd

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says "we decide the future of the continent".

By Bridget Judd

Ukraine will hold next local bond auction for war effort on Tuesday

Ukraine will hold the next auction of local 1-year bonds on Tuesday to raise money for its fight against invading Russian forces, the finance ministry says.

After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the Ukrainian government said it hoped to raise about $1.36 billion through new hryvnia bond issues.

It raised $8.1 billion hryvnias in its first such auction last week.

By Bridget Judd

Video shows the damage sustained by the largest shopping centre in Kherson, Ukraine (Video: Telegram)

By Bridget Judd

'We are a very, very generous country'

 
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has rejected calls for Britain to remove controls on Ukrainian refugees coming to the country.

He told reporters Britain was already being generous but needed to maintain checks on who was arriving.

"We are a very, very generous country. What we want though is control and we want to be able to check," he said.

By Bridget Judd

Part of the Black Sea port of Olvia hit by military 'strike', Ukranian officials say

Ukraine's infrastructure ministry said on Monday that part of the Black Sea port of Olvia, which is under concession to Qatari sea port operator QTerminals, had been hit by a military "strike".

Nobody was wounded, the ministry said without providing further details.

QTerminals, a joint venture between state-owned Qatar Ports Management (Mwani Qatar) and shipping and logistics group Qatar Navigation (Milaha), won the 35-year concession in 2020 to develop and operate the port.

Reuters

By Bridget Judd

Key Event

Next round of Ukraine-Russia talks to begin in a matter of hours

An adviser to the Ukrainian president says the next round of talks with Russia will begin at 4:00pm Kyiv time.

For those following along at home, that's around 12:00am AEST/1:00am AEDT.

By Bridget Judd

Poland to set up $2.3 billion fund to help Ukrainian refugees

 
The Polish government plans to create an 8 billion zloty ($2.3 billion) fund to help war refugees from Ukraine, a government official says.

The United Nations estimates more than 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine so far.

More than 1 million have crossed the border into Poland, and many thousands have been hosted across the country, but the aid effort has been predominantly shouldered by non-governmental organizations, volunteers and municipalities.

The government is due to introduce a bill later on Monday on an aid package to fund food and temporary lodgings for refugees, along with measures allowing them to legally work and access public healthcare and social assistance in Poland.

"Our initial assumption is that the fund we will set up will amount to about 8 billion zloty. That will finance the most urgent supplies and lodging but also the access to the labour market, social benefits and education," Minister Lukasz Schreiber told private broadcaster Radio Plus on Monday.

By Bridget Judd

Italy says EU countries need to move quickly on sanctions against Russia

 
Italy's Prime Minister has called for countries of the European Union to act swiftly with sanctions against Russian people and entities following Moscow's attack on Ukraine.

"And now we have to act, all of us, with speed on this point," Mario Draghi said in Brussels speaking at a conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

On Saturday, the Italian government said police seized villas and yachts worth 143 million euros from five high-profile Russians who were placed on sanctions lists following Moscow's attack on Ukraine. 

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