Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said peace talks with Russia were sounding more realistic but more time was needed.
Ukrainian officials have raised hopes the war could end sooner than expected – possibly by May – saying Moscow might be coming to terms with its failure to impose a new government by force and running out of fresh troops.
“The meetings continue, and, I am informed, the positions during the negotiations already sound more realistic. But time is still needed for the decisions to be in the interests of Ukraine,” Mr Zelensky said.
Mr Zelensky will address the US Congress on Wednesday, with the livestreamed address expected to be among the most important in a unique and very public strategy in his fight to stop Russia.
But his speech could put him at odds with the US President, who has stopped short of providing a no-fly zone or facilitating the transfer of military planes from neighbouring Poland that Mr Zelenksy has been pleading for since the outbreak of the war.
Joe Biden will give his own address following Mr Zelensky’s US speech in which the president will announce an additional $800m (£612m) in security assistance to Ukraine, bringing the total announced in the past week alone to $1 billion, according to a White House official familiar with the matter.
The Biden administration is looking to send Ukraine “more of what’s been working well”, including anti-armour and air-defence weapons, according to the official.
Follow the latest updates below.
03:33 AM
Civilians flee shelled port city of Mariupol
After days of relentless Russian shelling of Mariupol, an estimated 20,000 civilians used a humanitarian corridor to flee the port city.
The route runs west for more than 260km (160 miles) to the Ukraine-held city of Zaporizhzhia.
Russian troops seized a hospital in Mariupol and took about 500 people hostage during another assault on the southern port city late on Tuesday, regional leader Pavlo Kyrylenko said.
The soldiers drove 400 people from neighbouring homes into the Regional Intensive Care Hospital and about 100 doctors and patients also are believed to be inside, he said.
01:40 AM
Russia no long most-favoured for Japan trade
Japan will revoke Russia’s most-favoured nation trade status as part of further sanctions against Moscow, two people with direct knowledge with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.
The Government is set to announce the decision on Wednesday, public broadcaster NHK reported. The Group of Seven (G7) nations, which includes Japan, said on Friday that they would seek the move.
With the revocation of the most-favoured status, Japan would raise tariffs for certain seafood products such as sea urchins and crab imported from Russia by passing legislation during the current session of parliament, the Mainichi newspaper reported.
In 2021, Russia accounted for 81pc of sea urchins and 47.6pc of crab imported by Japan, according to government data.
Japan has already slapped sanctions on Russia-bound exports of chips and high-tech equipment, as well as on dozens of Russian and Belarusian officials, business executives and banks by freezing their assets.
01:03 AM
US Senate supports investigating Putin for war crimes
The US Senate unanimously approved a resolution late on Tuesday seeking investigations of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his regime for war crimes over the invasion of Ukraine.
The bipartisan measure from Senator Lindsey Graham said the Senate strongly condemned the “violence, war crimes. crimes against humanity” being carried out by Russian military forces under Putin’s direction.
It encourages international criminal courts to investigate Putin, his security council and military leaders for possible war crimes.
First introduced almost two weeks ago, the Senate resolution will not carry the force of law, but is another example of Congress providing the Biden administration with political support to take a tough line against Putin’s aggression.
The International Criminal Court has announced it has launched an investigation that could target senior officials believed responsible for war crimes and other violations over the war.
12:45 AM
In pictures: Innocent Ukrainians suffer in violent Russian attack
12:37 AM
Nato considers new ways to deter Russia
Nato is set to tell its military commanders on Wednesday to draw up plans for new ways to deter Russia, including more troops and missile defences in eastern Europe, officials and diplomats said.
Defence ministers will order the military advice at Nato headquarters, just over a week before allied leaders, including US President Joe Biden, gather in Brussels on March 24.
Ministers will also hear from their Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov, who is expected to plead for more weapons from individual Nato countries.
12:36 AM
US set to deliver new round of military help to Ukraine
Joe Biden will announce on Wednesday that the US is delivering a new round of military assistance to Ukraine, according to a person familiar with the decision.
The US president is expected to detail the assistance during a speech on the situation in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also scheduled to deliver video remarks to Congress on Wednesday morning.
While officials are anticipating that Mr Zelensky could once again call on the US and West to send Ukraine fighter jets or help establish a “no-fly” zone, the Biden administration is looking to send Ukraine “more of what’s been working well”, including anti-armour and air-defence weapons.
Since taking office, Mr Biden has committed $1.2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, including $550 million in just the past two weeks, according to the White House.
