Zelensky says talks between Ukraine and Russia are deadlocked

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Billionaire Roman Abramovich tries to resume talks between Ukraine and Russia, which both sides say are blocked

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Bloomberg news

Bloomberg news

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April 17, 2022 • 19 hours ago • 7 minutes reading • 149 comments Russian soldiers walk down a street in Mariupol on April 12, 2022 as Russian troops step up a campaign to capture the strategic port city, part of an expected massive attack in the east of Ukraine, while the Russian president makes defiant arguments about the war against Russia’s neighbor. Photo by ALEXANDER NEMENOV / AFP via Getty Images

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Billionaire Roman Abramovich is trying to resume talks between Ukraine and Russia, which both sides say are blocked. Employees of the Ukrainian Central Bank and Finance will travel to Washington for meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank next week.

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The shelling resumed near Kyiv, and the first known rocket attack in weeks was in the Lviv region near Poland. Russia has warned the United States about arms supplies, according to a diplomatic note quoted by the New York Times and the Washington Post.

The United Kingdom has said that destroyed roads are blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid. Ukraine’s economy could shrink in half, Finance Minister Sergei Marchenko said.

1. Abramovich visits Kyiv to resume Ukraine-Russia talks

2. Analysis: The Russian army cannot afford to lose more soldiers

All CET times:

Ukraine says Russia continues to strike Mariupol (8:01 a.m.)

Russia continues to strike the port city of Mariupol, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, amid Moscow’s window for the surrender of troops in the besieged city.

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Air strikes and preparations for a naval landing by Russian forces continue, the Ukrainian side said. Russia has said it will spare the lives of soldiers surrendering from 6 a.m. Moscow time, with the window lasting several hours.

Gaining control of Mariupol remains a key goal for Russia as it seeks to build a land bridge to the Crimean peninsula.

Russia urges defenders of Mariupol to surrender (11:30 p.m.)

Russia has called on Ukrainian forces in the besieged industrial port city of Mariupol to lay down their arms Sunday so they are not killed. Ukraine has rejected similar Russian demands in the past.

Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, head of Russia’s National Defense Management Center, cites the “catastrophic situation” in Azovstal, a sprawling steel plant that has become the city’s last position in defense. “Everyone who lays down their weapons is guaranteed to save their lives,” Mizintsev was quoted as saying by Tas.

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Austria needs years to stop Russian gas (9:30 p.m.)

Austria may stop importing Russian natural gas “maybe in a few years,” Chancellor Karl Nechamer told NBC’s Meet the Press. Austria is 80% dependent on Russian gas, so “it is not possible today, tomorrow,” he said.

Nehamer, whose country is militarily neutral under a 1955 agreement that ended its post-World War II occupation by allied and Soviet forces, was received by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday. He said he made the trip to “face” Putin with evidence of civilian killings in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv held by Russian forces.

Zelensky says Russia is negotiating at a dead end (19:53)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said negotiations with Russia were at a dead end “because we will not trade with our territory and our people.”

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If Russian forces carry out the threat to destroy the remaining Ukrainian troops fighting in Mariupol, it will “end” the talks, he said in an interview with Ukrainian online media.

Abramovich seeks to start talks (18:52)

Billionaire Roman Abramovich is traveling to Kyiv in a bid to resume peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which stalled after evidence of Russian atrocities against civilians emerged.

Abramovich met with Ukrainian negotiators to discuss ways to resume talks, according to people familiar with the matter.

In Russia, Abramovich “represents the country that supports the diplomatic resolution and the end of the war,” Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky told online media. “No one can guarantee it’s not a game.”

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Ukraine’s ally Medvedchuk detained in custody (18:41)

A Ukrainian court has ordered the detention of Kremlin friend Viktor Medvedchuk after he tried to flee the country, according to a statement on the court’s Facebook page.

Prosecutors suspect Medvedchuk, a US-sanctioned tycoon since 2014, of treason and terrorist financing. His assets were frozen in 2021. He denies any wrongdoing.

Medvedchuk has been under house arrest since last year, but escaped during Russia’s initial invasion. He was detained by Ukrainian security forces this week in an undisclosed location.

Zelensky has a follow-up call with Johnson (6:22 p.m.)

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky spoke with Boris Johnson on Saturday, a week after the British prime minister’s visit to Kyiv. They discussed “the need for a long-term security solution for Ukraine,” according to Downing Street.

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Russian ships banned from Italian ports after sanctions (18:14)

As of Sunday, Russian ships will not be able to anchor in Italian ports, the Ansa news agency reported. The move is part of the European Union’s recent package of sanctions against Moscow for invading Ukraine, Ansa said.

The change also applies to ships that changed their flag to any other Russian nationality after February 24, Ansa said. Ships calling at Italy must depart as soon as possible.

Ukrainian central bankers to visit Washington (17:17)

Central Bank Governor Kirilo Shevchenko and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Nikolaychuk will travel to Washington for spring meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, bank spokeswoman Halina Kalacheva said. They will be accompanied by Prime Minister Denis Shmihal and Finance Minister Sergei Marchenko. The meetings start on Monday.

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The IMF has created a new account designed to give donor nations a sure way to support the Ukrainian economy. Canada in its recent budget has proposed up to 1 billion CAD ($ 795 million) to be paid through the account and will be available to other IMF members or intergovernmental organizations wishing to use it as a means of providing assistance, the IMF said.

The Minister promises that Kyiv will service the foreign debt (14:12)

More than 80 percent of Ukraine’s debt this year is domestic, “which we can easily cover” or refinance, Finance Minister Sergei Marchenko said in a television interview.

He said the foreign debt repayment schedule was “quite moderate and simple”, peaking in September, when Kyiv has to pay interest on $ 500 million in Eurobonds. The minister said Ukraine had cut spending by 180 billion hryvnia ($ 6 billion) and needed $ 5 billion to $ 7 billion a month to fund its budget as the war continued.

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The Ukrainian economy could shrink between 30% and 50%, Marchenko said.

Ukraine’s economy will fall by 45% in 2022, says the World Bank

Putin, Saudi heir to the throne, is optimistic about OPEC +, says Kremlin (12:40 CET)

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman have praised their co-operation in the OPEC + group of producers to stabilize the global oil market, the Kremlin said in a statement on Saturday.

The phone call was initiated by Saudi Arabia, the Kremlin said, and leaders also discussed the situation in Ukraine and Yemen. The heir to the throne spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday and also discussed Ukraine, according to state television.

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Saudi Arabia and other major Gulf oil producers have so far opposed US calls for increased production as prices have risen amid the Ukraine crisis and fears of possible sanctions against Russian exports.

Russia has captured more than 1,000 civilians, the official said (12:43 p.m.)

More than half of the civilians taken by Moscow’s forces are women, said Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk, who asked for a briefing on television to release them immediately. “We will not replace the military with civilians. That would violate the Geneva Conventions, “she said.

Ukraine has captured more than 700 Russian troops, and Russia has captured about 700 Ukrainian troops, with an additional exchange of prisoners possible, she said.

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Ukraine and Russia agreed on Saturday on nine humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians. Russian troops shelled the center of …