Ukraine President Zelensky Urges A Peace Talk With Russia

More than 3,25 million refugees fled from Ukraine

After long days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian capital Kyiv has accused Moscow of committing war crimes by deliberately shelling residential areas as more than 3.25 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the Russia-Ukrainian war broke.

Looking into the harsh situations in the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow, saying Russia would otherwise need generations to recover from losses suffered during the war.

"The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia's losses will be such that it will take you several generations to recover," Mr. Zelensky said.

Moreover, US president Biden also commented on China for backing up Russia for war aid.  Biden laid out to Chinese leader Xi Jinping the "consequences" of any backing for Russia in its war against Ukraine, the White House said, as Beijing showed no sign of joining Western condemnation of the invasion.

Operations were on to rescue hundreds of civilians feared trapped under the wreckage of a bombed theatre, as local forces battled against Russian troops across the country.

Due to the war, Ukraine's defence ministry said it lost access to the Sea of Azov "temporarily" as invading Russian forces were tightening their grip around the Sea's major port of Mariupol.

"The occupiers have partially succeeded in the Donetsk operational district, temporarily depriving Ukraine of access to the Sea of Azov," Ukraine's defence ministry said in a statement.

Despite the allegation by the Ukrainian president, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Kyiv of "war crimes" in a call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, saying that Moscow is doing "everything possible" to avoid civilian deaths in Ukraine.

Mr. Macron expressed "extreme concern" over the fate of Mariupol, urging "a lifting of the siege and humanitarian access" to the city.