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Ukraine hopes for cease-fire as Istanbul hosts new talks

Key updates
Here’s the status of Ukrainian cities under Russian attack
Biden says he was expressing ‘moral outrage’ in calling for Putin’s removal, not announcing new policy
Ukrainians take back northeastern town from Russians, U.S. official says
On March 25, President Biden said that he was not “articulating a policy change” when he called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to step down. (Video: The Washington Post)
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Updated March 28, 2022 at 11:11 p.m. EDT|Published March 28, 2022 at 1:06 a.m. EDT
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Ukrainian officials say they are hoping at most for a cease-fire agreement as they enter a new round of in-person negotiations with Russia set to begin in Istanbul on Tuesday.

Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba said his country will focus most immediately on “humanitarian” issues and seek a halt to the fighting, according to Ukrainian media. He said Ukraine will not trade “people, land or sovereignty,” though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has recently signaled openness to negotiations over long-disputed territory in the east and a potential renunciation of his country’s aspirations to join NATO.

Western authorities and military experts say Russian forces were unprepared for Ukraine’s fierce resistance, which has raised pressure for a diplomatic solution to a war that could drag on in stalemate. But Kremlin officials dampened hopes of a breakthrough Monday, accusing Ukraine of only pretending to negotiate.

Here’s the status of Ukrainian cities under Russian attack
Biden says he was expressing ‘moral outrage’ in calling for Putin’s removal, not announcing new policy
Ukrainians take back northeastern town from Russians, U.S. official says

Here’s what to know

  • President Biden said Monday that he was expressing “moral outrage” rather than telegraphing a dramatic policy shift when he said over the weekend that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power.”
  • Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and members of Ukraine’s negotiating delegation fell ill after meetings in early March and came to suspect that they were poisoned, according to an associate of Abramovich.
  • About 3.8 million Ukrainians have sought refuge in the European Union since the Russian invasion, half of whom are children, E.U. officials said.
  • The Washington Post has lifted its paywall for readers in Russia and Ukraine. Telegram users can subscribe to our channel for updates.
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Here's what to know:

President Biden said Monday that he was expressing “moral outrage” rather than telegraphing a dramatic policy shift when he said over the weekend that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power.”
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and members of Ukraine’s negotiating delegation fell ill after meetings in early March and came to suspect that they were poisoned, according to an associate of Abramovich.
About 3.8 million Ukrainians have sought refuge in the European Union since the Russian invasion, half of whom are children, E.U. officials said.
The Washington Post has lifted its paywall for readers in Russia and Ukraine. Telegram users can subscribe to our channel for updates.

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