Russia-Ukraine talks set to begin in Istanbul
A spokesperson for the Turkish Foreign Ministry has told NBC News that talks between Russia and Ukraine will begin at 10:30 a.m. Istanbul time (4:30 a.m. ET). He added that it was possible there may be some delays.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks ahead of the peace talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine at Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul, Turkiye on March 29, 2022.
Arda Kucukkaya | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks ahead of the peace talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine at Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul, Turkiye on March 29, 2022.
Turkish Presidency | Murat Cetinmuhurdar | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets Russian and Ukrainian delegations ahead of the peace talks at Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul, Turkiye on March 29, 2022.
Turkish Presidency | Murat Cetinmuhurdar | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Russian and Ukrainian delegations meet at Dolmabahce Presidential Office for the peace talks in Istanbul, Turkiye on March 29, 2022.
Arda Kucukkaya | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Russian and Ukrainian delegations meet at Dolmabahce Presidential Office for the peace talks in Istanbul, Turkiye on March 29, 2022.
Arda Kucukkaya | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Japan to ban export of luxury items to Russia
Japan has announced it will ban the export of luxury goods to Russia from April 5.
Goods in the export ban will include luxury cars, cosmetics and art.
— Chloe Taylor
Face-to-face talks to resume in Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets Russian and Ukrainian delegations ahead of the peace talks at Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul, Turkiye on March 29, 2022.
Turkish Presidency | Murat Cetinmuhurdar | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Face-to-face talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegates are set to resume in Istanbul today.
Delegations from both countries touched down in Turkey on Monday.
But both sides have suggested officials are not yet close to securing an agreement.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Ukrainian television yesterday that “nothing is agreed upon unless everything is agreed upon.”
He said the minimum Ukraine was hoping to secure was a solution to the humanitarian crises arising from the war, while the maximum the country’s officials were hoping to achieve was a cease-fire.
“Everything can change at any moment,” he said. “At the moment the principal points do not have solid agreements. There is an exchange of thoughts, positions, creative ideas, but there are no decisions yet. Moreover, agreeing on one point does not mean the agreement as a whole will work in integral format.”
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a televised interview on Monday that the delegations “still don’t have a clear understanding on our main points.”
— Chloe Taylor
Russia reorganizing and resetting its forces, UK says
A Ukrainian serviceman stands near the wreck of a Russian tank on the front line in the Kyiv region, Ukraine March 28, 2022.
Gleb Garanich | Reuters
Ukrainian forces are continuing to carry out localized counterattacks to Kyiv’s northwest, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Tuesday.
“These attacks have had some success and the Russians have been pushed back from a number of positions,” the ministry said in an intelligence update. “However, Russia still poses a significant threat to the city through their strike capability.”
The ministry added that the besieged port city of Mariupol remains under Ukrainian control, despite continuous Russian shelling.
“Elsewhere, Russian Forces are maintaining blocking positions while attempting to reorganize and reset their forces,” British officials said.
— Chloe Taylor
Read CNBC’s previous live coverage here:
UN agency estimates nearly 3,000 civilians have been injured or killed
A view of a heavily damaged building after shelling at the Vitryani Hory area in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 27, 2022.
Andres Gutierrez | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exacted a heavy toll with a total 2,975 civilian casualties recorded since the conflict began more than a month ago, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Among those 1,151 were killed, including 103 children, between Feb. 24 and March 27, the UN agency said in its Monday update.
The agency said most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the “use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes.”
UNHCR cautioned, however, the actual figures are considerably higher since the information from “some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration.”
—Sumathi Bala