Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces pummeled Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine on Monday as representatives from both countries met for a fourth round of talks since the invasion started nearly three weeks ago.
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met Monday before taking a "technical pause" until Tuesday, according to Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who tweeted the news.
Meanwhile, a convoy of 160 civilian cars evacuated from the beleaguered port city of Mariupol, following a designated humanitarian route, according to the City Council.
Latest developments on Ukraine:
- Russia asked China for military equipment and other support following the start of its war in Ukraine, U.S. officials said.
- Ukraine continues efforts to repair the damaged Chernobyl nuclear plant.
- Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held a video conference on Monday morning.
- U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with China’s senior diplomat in Rome.
- Zelenskyy will virtually address Congress on Wednesday.
China pushes back
In another key development, Beijing on Monday pushed back on reports that Russia had asked China for military equipment and other support following the start of its invasion of Ukraine, saying that “the U.S. has been spreading disinformation and this is very dangerous.”
“We need to advance a diplomatic solution of the situation instead of further escalating the situation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a news briefing.
As fighting intensified across Ukraine, three American officials said on Sunday that the U.S. government had reason to believe that Russia had asked China for the help.
News of the requests came amid the intensifying Russian bombing of Ukrainian cities and residential areas. It was a key topic of discussion between President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and China’s senior diplomat, Yang Jiechi, during "an intense" seven-hour meeting in Rome on Monday that reflected "the gravity of the moment," a senior Biden administration official said.
"I’m just going to reiterate that we do have deep concerns about China’s alignment with Russia at this time, and the national security adviser was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions," the official said. "But again, we’re not communicating via the press with China. We’re communicating directly and privately."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday denied that Moscow had requested military aid from other countries.
The officials with knowledge of Russia’s request to China declined to elaborate on whether Beijing agreed to supply military aid, or whether the United States even knows the answer to that question. They declined say what kind of equipment was requested, and whether it was lethal.
The evolving stance taken by Beijing, which has growing ties with Russia and has refrained from condemning its actions in Ukraine, has been the subject of intense speculation and concern in Western capitals.
