Russia-Ukraine live news: Ukraine offers talks in Mariupol | Russia-Ukraine war News
About 1,000 civilians remain trapped at a steel plant where Ukrainian forces are making their last stand in Mariupol.
- More than five million people have now fled Ukraine, the United Nations refugee agency says.
- Ukraine has called on the Red Cross to establish contact with 500,000 people it says have been deported to Russia.
- Russia has said it test-launched its new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile.
- US says it has begun training Ukrainian forces on howitzer artillery systems, part of an $800m weapons package to help Kyiv defend against Moscow’s eastern offensive.
Here are all the latest updates:
France’s Macron says Le Pen’s interests tied to Russian leadership
French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen’s interests are tied to Russia’s leadership, President Emmanuel Macron has said in a television debate with his far-right challenger.
“None of us went to seek financing from a Russian bank, and especially not from one that is close to power in Russia,” said Macron, who will face off against Le Pen in the second round of the presidential election on April 24.
He said other French parties had managed to finance their operations with French loans, not through a bank connected to Russia.
US lawmakers urge Facebook to do more to fight Russian propaganda
A group of 21 US lawmakers have sent a letter to Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg voicing concern about what they called disinformation on the platform aimed at Spanish speakers about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Facebook has continuously failed to show it is adequately addressing this problem for Spanish-speaking communities, and the success of Russian sponsored outlets in crowding out the information ecosystem for Spanish speakers serves as proof to this fact,” the lawmakers wrote.
“The viral spread of these narratives stands in stark contrast to assurances that Meta made to the public and Members of Congress that it is prioritizing the pressing needs of Hispanic communities in the United States.”
US hits Russian bank, oligarch with fresh sanctions
The United States has imposed new sanctions on a Russian commercial bank, an oligarch and dozens of individuals and entities.
The Treasury Department’s targets also include Russia-based units of virtual currency mining firm Bitriver.
The US “can and will target those who evade, attempt to evade, or aid the evasion of US sanctions against Russia, as they are helping support Putin’s brutal war of choice”, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E Nelson said in a statement.
Ukraine ready to hold ‘special’ talks with Russia in Mariupol: Negotiator
Ukraine is ready to hold a “special round of negotiations” with Russia in the besieged city of Mariupol without any conditions, negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak has tweeted.
He said the talks could be “one on one. Two on two. To save our guys, [the far right] Azov [battalion], military, civilians, children, the living and the wounded”.
Another key Ukrainian negotiator, David Arakhamia, said on Telegram that he and Podolyak “are ready to arrive in Mariupol to hold talks with the Russian side on the evacuation of our military garrison and civilians”.
There was no immediate response from Russia on the proposal.
Yes. Without any conditions. We’re ready to hold a “special round of negotiations” right in Mariupol. One on one. Two on two. To save our guys, Azov, military, civilians, children, the living & the wounded. Everyone. Because they are ours. Because they are in my heart. Forever.
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) April 20, 2022
Russian armed forces will start taking deliveries of new missile: Report
Russia will start taking delivery of the new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile this year once testing is complete, the Russian state TASS news agency has quoted the head of the Roscosmos space agency as saying.
Dmitry Rogozin said deliveries would start “in the autumn of this year”, it reported.
Russia said on Wednesday that it had conducted a first test launch of the missile.
US will be sending more weapons to Ukraine: White House
The United States military will be delivering additional military equipment to Ukraine in the coming days, White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said.
Five US cargo flights arrived in the region in the last few days and more than half a dozen are scheduled shortly, Psaki told reporters during a media briefing.
“We have been working with Ukrainians and the Ukrainian military to determine exactly the kind of security assistance they need for this stage in the war,” Psaki said. “That has included an increase – as you’ve seen – in artillery and ammunition.”
The Biden administration will be announcing more weapons transfers soon, she added, without providing more details.
Welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the war in Ukraine.
Read all the updates from Wednesday, April 20 here.
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