Ukraine says it is seeking international security guarantees that are “legally verified” as part of discussions with Russia to reach an agreement to end Moscow’s unprovoked invasion, as Russia escalated its bombardment of Kyiv and launched new assaults on the port city of Mariupol.
With the war in Ukraine now ending its third week, video talks between the two sides appeared to be making some progress on March 16, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calling the discussions “businesslike” and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy describing Moscow’s demands as becoming “more realistic.”
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Lavrov said on the Russian RBK TV that “serious” discussions on Ukraine having neutral status were taking place, with “concrete formulations that in my view are close to being agreed.”
Russia’s top diplomat didn’t elaborate on the discussions, but Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Mykhaylo Podolyak, appeared to take a different view, saying that since a war with Russia was under way, “the model can only be Ukrainian and only about legally verified security guarantees.”
“Ukraine has never been a militaristic state that attacks or plans to attack its neighbors, unlike some neighbors,” he said in a statement on Telegram.
“This means that the signatories of the guarantees do not stand aside in the event of an attack on Ukraine, as they are doing today. Instead, they take an active part on the side of Ukraine in a conflict and officially provide us with an immediate supply of the necessary amount of weapons,” he added.
The talks are also said to be hitting a sticking point with Ukraine demanding a complete withdrawal of all Russian forces.
The day before, Zelenskiy appeared to acknowledge Ukraine is unlikely to achieve its previous goal of joining the NATO security alliance.
He told European leaders gathered in London on March 15 that he realized NATO has no intention of accepting Ukraine. “We have heard for many years about the open doors, but we also heard that we can’t enter those doors,” he said. “This is the truth, and we have simply to accept it as it is.”
Zelenskiy has previously said that he could consider a neutral status for his country but needs strong security guarantees from both the West and Russia.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have intensified attacks on Kyiv’s suburbs, notably those to the northwest and west, the head of the Kyiv region, Oleksiy Kuleba, said on March 16.
He said the Russians were trying to cut off the capital from transport arteries and destroy logistical capabilities as they plan a broader attack to seize Kyiv.
Kuleba added that Russia had occupied the city of Ivankiv, 80 kilometers north of Kyiv, and controls the surrounding region on the border with Belarus.
Shrapnel from an artillery shell slammed into a 12-story apartment building in central Kyiv on March 16, destroying the top floor, according to a statement and images released by the Kyiv emergencies service. The neighboring building was also damaged. The service reported two victims but did not elaborate.
Bombardment of the capital edged closer to the city center, smashing apartments, a subway station, and other civilian sites.
But a senior U.S. defense official quoted by AP on March 15 said Russian troops were still about 15 kilometers from the center of the capital.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Russians were using long-range fire to hit civilian targets inside Kyiv with increasing frequency but that their ground forces were making little to no progress around the country.
The city remained under a 35-hour curfew early on March 16. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced the restriction the day before, warning that as Russian forces step up their strikes and close in on the capital it faces a “difficult and dangerous moment.”
Battles also continue to rage in Mariupol and other cities, including Kharkhiv and Mykolayiv.
Russian naval ships overnight fired on a town near Mariupol on the Sea of Azov and another near Odesa on the Black Sea, according to local officials.
In an address on March 16 to a meeting of the House of Representatives and Senate, Zelenskiy called on the U.S. Congress and President Joe Biden to provide further military assistance to help protect the skies over Ukraine and urged further sanctions against Russia.
After speaking in Ukrainian during the first part of his speech, Zelenskiy switched to English when directly addressing Biden in his final appeal, saying that leading the world means being a “leader of peace.”
“You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace,” Zelenskiy said.
He added that Ukraine needs help from the United States “right now.”
“I call on you to do more,” he said.
In a video address to his own nation, Zelenskiy said Russian forces were unable to move deeper into Ukrainian territory on March 15 but continued their heavy shelling of cities.
He added that nearly 29,000 civilians had been able to flee through humanitarian corridors in the past days but said the Russians refuse to allow aid into Mariupol.
WATCH: While embedded with Ukrainian troops, Current Time journalists Borys Sachalko and Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey came under fire during a Russian artillery assault.
Zelenskiy told European leaders gathered in London on March 15 that he realized NATO has no intention of accepting Ukraine.
“We have heard for many years about the open doors, but we also heard that we can’t enter those doors,” he said. “This is the truth, and we have simply to accept it as it is.”
Zelenskiy has previously said he realizes NATO isn’t going to offer membership to Ukraine and that he could consider a neutral status for his country but needs strong security guarantees from both the West and Russia.
