Online talks to be held as renewed effort under way to establish humanitarian corridor in heavily shelled southern city
- Russia-Ukraine war: latest updates
Peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv will resume on Friday, amid fresh efforts to help residents in Mariupol flee the besieged, devastated city.
Ukrainian negotiator, David Arakhamia, said on Thursday that talks would continue by video, focusing on the peace framework Kyiv presented during a face-to-face meeting in Istanbul this week that Moscow described as constructive.
The UN atomic watchdog is investigating Ukrainian claims that Russian soldiers occupying Chernobyl nuclear power station left after receiving high doses of radiation. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it could not confirm the claims by Ukrainian state power company Energoatom and was seeking an independent assessment.
Australia is to send Bushmaster armoured vehicles to Ukraine following an address to MPs by Zelenskiy. Prime minister Scott Morrison said: “We will send our armoured vehicles, Bushmasters … and we will fly them over in our C-17s [aircraft] to make sure they can be there to support [Ukraine].” Morrison suggested more aid would follow.
EU and Chinese leaders will meet for a first summit in two years on Friday with Brussels keen for assurances from Beijing that it will neither supply Russia with arms nor help Moscow circumvent western sanctions. EU officials close to the preparations of the summit said any help given to Russia would damage China’s international reputation and jeopardise relations with its biggest trade partners – Europe and the United States.
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