Russia-Ukraine live news: Biden approves $13.6bn in Ukraine aid | Russia-Ukraine war News
- Ukrainian and Russian negotiators are expected to continue talks on Wednesday.
- An adviser to Ukraine’s president has said ongoing negotiations to end the war are difficult, but there is “certainly room for compromise”.
- Biden will attend NATO, EU summits in Brussels next week, the White House has announced.
- About 29,000 people were evacuated from Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors on Tuesday, most from the besieged city of Mariupol, a senior Ukrainian official has said.
- The United Nations says 3 million people have fled Ukraine since the war began.
- Turkey’s foreign minister is expected to hold meetings in Moscow on Wednesday before travelling to Kyiv the next day.
Here are the latest updates:
Russia regrouping and pivoting on Ukraine strategy: Analyst
Russia’s initial military strategy of making rapid gains, displacing Ukrainians and taking over the country has failed on many levels, James Sherr, an analyst at the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, has said.
“Ukraine’s cohesion and resilience, flexibility and inventiveness has come as a surprise,” Sherr told Al Jazeera.
Russians are now altering their war strategy in two ways, he said, by regrouping – particularly in the east in the country – and pummelling Ukrainian cities. “They are reducing Ukrainians to destitution,” Sherr said.
Biden pledges to help Ukrainian refugees
Biden has vowed to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine as the number of people who fled the country surpassed 3 million, according to the UN.
“This war has turned nearly 3 million Ukrainians into refugees,” Biden wrote on Twitter. “That’s on top of more than 12 million people who require humanitarian assistance inside Ukraine. The United States is helping to lead a global humanitarian response with our partners in Europe and beyond.”
Biden to attend NATO, EU summits in Brussels next week
Biden will travel to Europe next week for face-to-face talks with European leaders on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki has announced.
Biden will meet NATO and European leaders at a summit in Brussels on March 24. He will also attend a scheduled European Union summit the same day for discussions on further sanctions on Russia and humanitarian efforts for Ukraine.
Biden authorises $13.6bn in aid to Ukraine
President Joe Biden has signed an annual US spending bill that contains $13.6bn in humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine.
“I just signed the Bipartisan Government Funding Bill into law — keeping the government open and providing a historic $13.6 billion in funding to Ukraine,” Biden wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
I just signed the Bipartisan Government Funding Bill into law — keeping the government open and providing a historic $13.6 billion in funding to Ukraine.
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 15, 2022
Russia-Ukraine talks difficult, but will continue: Zelenskyy adviser
A senior Ukrainian official has said that talks with Russia on ending the war were very difficult but said there was “certainly room for compromise”.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Twitter that there were fundamental contradictions between the two sides.
But Podolyak said the negotiations would continue on Wednesday.
Russia’s tactics are evolving in Ukraine. Here’s how
The last week has seen a marked change in tactics from the Russian military as the scope of the war in Ukraine has widened.
Advanced weapons, especially man-portable anti-tank and air defence systems, as well as small arms and ammunition, have been pouring into Ukraine.
Read more about Russia’s changing military tactics here.
Turkish FM to hold meetings in Moscow, then travel to Kyiv
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is sending his foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, to Moscow and Kyiv this week as part of Turkey’s mediation efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Cavusoglu will hold talks in Moscow on Wednesday, Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting, before travelling to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Thursday.
NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has good ties with both and has offered to mediate between the warring countries.
About 29,000 evacuated from Ukrainian cities on Tuesday: Ukrainian official
Around 29,000 people were evacuated from Ukrainian cities through humanitarian corridors on Tuesday, most of them leaving the besieged port city of Mariupol, a senior government official has said.
Senior Ukrainian presidential official Kyrylo Tymoshenko said in an online post that about 20,000 people had left Mariupol in private cars.
Ukraine earlier accused Russia of blocking a convoy trying to take supplies to the city.
Welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
Read all the updates from Tuesday, March 15 here.
