UN chief tells Russia to end 'unwinnable' war

• Kherson is running out of food, medicine, say Ukrainian officials 
• Ukrainian forces say they've retaken strategic Kyiv suburb
• UN chief says the war is 'going nowhere fast'
• Zelenskyy signals he is open to negotiate with Russia on NATO

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US defense official claims Russian combat power has declined

A senior US defense official says Russia's combat power in Ukraine has dipped below 90% of its pre-invasion level. This points to the possibility of heavy losses and rising casualties.

"For the first time they may be just a little bit below 90%," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity, and without providing evidence to support the claim.

On March 2 Russia stated that 498 personnel had been killed and 1597 have been wounded since launching its invasion.

Serbia will not join sanctions against Russia

Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin said Serbia "will never" join Western sanctions against Russia, calling the effort "anti-Russian hysteria."

Vulin added his country, a staunch ally of Russia, "will not ban Russian media."

Serbia is officially seeking to join the EU, but has refused to modify it's foreign policy to comply with Brussels' course on Moscow.

Putin and Macron discuss cease-fire in hour-long call

French President Emmanuel Macron mulled "security conditions for substantial issues" in an hour-long call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Elysee Palace said.

The two leaders discussed a possible cease-fire, but no agreement was reached.

Macron remains "convinced of the need to continue his efforts." 

The Elysee Palace said Macron also spoke with Volodymyr Zelenskyy Tuesday.

Tikhanovskaya: Free Belarus contingent on free Ukraine

"Without a free Ukraine, there will be no free Belarus," exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya told DW.

She added that, if Ukraine is defeated, it will mean that Belarusian strongman Aleksander Lukashenko "will feel rather strong because he is allied with the winner, and all our political prisoners will be in prison for many, many years."

"Our main task is to help Ukrainians to win," Tikhanovskaya said.

She said Lukashenko was allowing Russian troops to invade from Belarusian territory, making the smaller country a "co-aggressor" in the Ukraine invasion.

At the same time, there is a widespread anti-war sentiment among the Belarusian people, she said.

"As we know, the Belarusian army refuses to go to Ukraine despite pressure and threats."

Kremlin spokesman says 'no war' happening in Ukraine

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no one thought the country's "special military operation" would take only a few days, adding there is "no war" occurring in Ukraine.

Talking to CNN, Peskov reiterated the Kremlin's claims that the campaign is going according to plan. He also said Russia would only use nuclear weapons should the country's existence be threatened.

Ukraine expects spring crops to be cut by half, affecting global food supplies

Ukraine's agricultural minister Roman Leshchenko said he expects Ukraine's spring crop area may be halved this year to only 7 million hectares (17.3 million acres).

"Today, the issue of food security is at the forefront," Leshchenko said.

In 2021, Ukraine sowed 15 million hectares for the spring crop. Ukraine's agricultural sector produces barley, corn, sugar beet, sunflowers and soybeans and the country's lush lands are the reason it is often called the "breadbasket of Europe."

Russia's invasion of Ukraine will result in a reduced harvest this autumn and the ripple effects will be felt on exports through next year. The effect of the invasion is is likely be felt most keenly in poorer countries where a significant part of the population relies on food aid.

The government is considering lifting requirements for export licenses for corn and sunflower oil, the Ukrainian minister said.

Russia opens criminal case against journalist over Mariupol report

The Investigative Committee of Russia said it had opened a criminal case against journalist Alexander Nevzorov.

The committee accused Nevzorov of spreading what it called "deliberately false information about the deliberate shelling by Russia's armed forces of a maternity hospital in the city of Mariupol."

Russian officials refuse use the words "war" or "invasion" when referring to the attack on Ukraine, and journalists can be persecuted if they don't follow the official line of calling it a "special military operation."

Zelenskyy says 'nothing left' of Mariupol

After weeks of bombardment by Russian forces, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Italian parliament there is "nothing left" of the post city of Mariupol.

Zelenskyy appealed to Russia to allow the 100,000 people who remain in the city to be able to leave.

As Zelenskyy was speaking, Ukrainian authorities said Russia had dropped two large bombs on Mariupol.

Zelenskyy urges Italy to seize yacht linked to the Kremlin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Italy to seize a yacht linked to Vladimir Putin in an address to the Italian parliament.

The organization of jailed Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny released a video linking the luxury Scheherazade yacht to the Kremlin. The superyacht is docked at the port of Marina di Carrara.

Zelenskyy asked the Italian parliament to "Support a ban on entering your ports for Russian ships, so that they feel the cost of their aggression."

Navalny's organization, the Anti-Corruption Foundation, said many of the crew were officials with the Russian Federal Protective Service (FSO) which guards Putin.

UK and Indian leaders urge respect for Ukraine's sovereignty

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that "Ukraine's territorial sovereignty must be respected."

The statement came in a readout of the call provided by Johnson's office.

According to the statement, the two leaders agreed that "Russia needed to adhere to the UN charter."

Johnson said both countries needed to intensify de-escalation efforts.

UN Secretary General says war is 'absurd' and 'unwinnable'

UN chief Antonio Guterres said Russia's invasion of Ukraine "is going nowhere fast."

Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, he decried the conflict as "absurd" and "unwinnable."

"Even if Mariupol falls, Ukraine cannot be conquered city by city, street by street, house by house," Guterres said.

He added "the only outcome" is "more suffering, more destruction, and more horror as far as the eye can see."

Guterres also said talks between two sides were making progress.

Kherson faces 'humanitarian catastrophe'

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 300,000 people in the Russian-occupied city of Kherson are running out of food and medical supplies. Kyiv also said Russia was preventing the evacuation of civilians to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

"Kherson’s 300k citizens face a humanitarian catastrophe owing to the Russian army’s blockade," said spokesman Oleg Nikolenko.

Protesters meet Roman Abramovich's yachts in Turkey

Two superyachts tied to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, among those sanctioned by the Western governments, have docked in Turkish resort towns.

A 163.5 meter jumbo yacht, the Eclipse, sailing under a Bermudan flag, docked in the town of Marmaris Tuesday, a day after the 139-meter-long Solaris jumbo yacht arrived in Bodrum.

In Bodrum, Ukrainian sailors protested, waving Ukrainian flags on an inflatable dingy, chanting, "Go away," and "No war in Ukraine," in English.

Turkey has not joined in Western sanctions against Russia and agents of the Russian state.

Former US Army Europe chief says Russia cannot win

Retired US Army General Ben Hodges, the former Commander-in-Chief of the US Army Europe, told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Russia "will not succeed militarily."

This week and next week will prove decisive in the war, said Hodges, who is currently with the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) think-tank.

He noted Russia's military has managed to destroy Mariupol without conquering it and said it was clear now Western analysts had mistaken the strength of the Russian army. Kyiv will also not be taken, he said.

Hodges also attributed the death of so many senior Russian military leaders to the hierarchical nature of the Russian forces which leaves senior leaders far more exposed than is the case with Western armies.

Russia tells world chess body to stay out of politics

Russia said the International Chess Federation (FIDE) should stay out of politics after it banned Russian grandmaster Sergey Karjakin for six months.

"We urge FIDE to reconsider this decision and still stay out of politics, thus confirming the international prestige of this chess organization," a Kremlin spokesman said.

Karjakin, one of the world's top chess players, has defended his country's actions and shared Russian propaganda on social media in recent weeks.

On Monday, FIDE banned him from its tournaments for six months over his outspoken support for the invasion. Last week, FIDE banned the Russia and Belarus teams from its tournaments, although individual players could still play.

Wildfires near Chernobyl extinguished

Ukraine's natural resources minister says multiple wildfires burning near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site have been extinguished.

The fires have raised concern about the possible release of radiation from the contaminated area around the disused plant, but Resources Minister Ruslan Strelets said the radiation levels are at normal levels.

Ukraine earlier said they were likely caused by artillery shelling or arson by Russian forces. Chernobyl has been in Russian hands since the early days of the invasion.

German Bundestag honors Holocaust survivor killed in Ukraine war

Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, paid tribute to Boris Romanchenko, who survived several Nazi concentration camps but was killed last week in a Russian strike on Kharkiv. Lawmakers held a moment of silence in memory of Romanchenko and other victims of the war.

"His death reminds us that Germany has a special historical responsibility toward Ukraine,'' said deputy speaker Katrin Goering-Eckardt.

"Boris Romanchenko is one of thousands of dead in Ukraine. Every single life that has been taken reminds us to do everything we can to stop this cruel war that violates international law and to help people in and from Ukraine," she added

Romanchenko, 96, was killed Friday, the Buchenwald concentration camp memorial institute reported on Monday. During World War II, he survived the camps at Buchenwald, Peenemünde, Dora and Bergen-Belsen.

Italy wants Ukraine in EU as Zelenskyy warns Ukraine is 'gate of Europe'

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has addressed Italian lawmakers via a video link. He said his country was on the brink of surviving its war with Russia and warned the Kremlin wants to break through to the rest of Europe.

"For Russian troops, Ukraine is the gate of Europe, where they want to break in, but barbarism must not be allowed to pass," Zelenskyy told the parliament.

After the address Italy's Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, said he wanted Ukraine in the European Union.

"The arrogance of the Russian government has collided with the dignity of the Ukrainian people, who have managed to curb Moscow's expansionist aims and impose a huge cost on the invading army," Draghi told the Italian parliament.

Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner donates medal to fund Ukrainian refugees

Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov said he will auction off his Nobel medal and give the proceeds to Ukrainian refugees.

"There are already over 10 million refugees. I ask the auction houses to respond and put up for auction this world-famous award," Muratov wrote in Novaya Gazeta, the independent Russian newspaper of which he is the editor.

Muratov and Philippine journalists Maria Ressa shared the 2021 Nobel peace prize for their defense of freedom of speech.

During his acceptance speech in Oslo in December, Muratov warned that Russia's government was agitating toward war.

Earlier this month, Novaya Gazeta removed all material on Russia's military actions in Ukraine from its website because of censorship.

They said it was in response to threats of criminal prosecution of journalists and citizens who veer from the government's official line.

UN refugee agency says 3.5 million refugees fled Ukraine

The UN refugee agency says more than 3.3 million Ukrainian refugees have poured into neighboring countries since Russia's invasion on February 24.

The vast majority, more than 2 million, crossed the border into Poland, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said.

Germany's interior ministry said so far 232,462 refugees had made their way to the country. However, the actual number was probably higher because there are no regular checks at the German-Polish border.

People with Ukrainian passports can enter and move freely in the EU visa-free for at least 90 days.

On Monday, the International Organization for Migration said nearly 6.5 million people had been displaced inside Ukraine due to the war.

"The scale of human suffering and forced displacement due to the war far exceeds any worst-case scenario planning," IOM Antonio Vitorino, Director General of the International Organization for Migration said.

Ukraine's military holds Mariupol, according to UK intelligence

The UK's Ministry of Defense said Ukrainian forces continued to "repulse" Russian attempts to take over the southern port city of Mariupol.

The intelligence assessment confirms Ukraine's Defense Ministry claim early on Tuesday that it forces were still defending the city.

On Sunday, Reuters reported that Russian forces held parts of Mariupol.

The port city has been besieged for more than three weeks and has seen some of the heaviest bombardment and fighting of the war.

Ukraine said efforts to evacuate civilians were focused on Mariupol but did not announce any new agreement with Russia to allow safe passage.

"We are focusing on evacuations from Mariupol," Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said. About 3,000 people were evacuated from the city on Monday.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called Russia's siege and bombardment of Mariupol "a massive war crime."

Ukraine claims it has retaken strategically important Kyiv suburb 

The Ukrainian military said its troops have driven Russian forces out of Makariv, a town about 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Kyiv. 

The strategically important town was the scene of a fierce battle and has sustained significant damage from Russian shelling, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said, adding its recapture prevents Russian forces from encircling the capital from the northwest. 

The "state flag of Ukraine was raised over the city of Makariv" as the Russians retreated, the ministry wrote in a post on Facebook.

DW could not confirm the claim by the Ukraine forces.

Zelenskyy open to NATO compromise with Putin to gain cease-fire

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was willing to consider dropping its demands for full NATO membership in exchange for security guarantees.

"It's a compromise for everyone: for the West, which doesn't know what to do with us with regard to NATO, for Ukraine, which wants security guarantees, and for Russia, which doesn't want further NATO expansion," Zelenskyy said late Monday in an interview with Ukrainian television channels.

Ukraine is well aware it cannot be admitted to NATO at the moment because they "do not want to fight with Russia," Zelenskyy said, adding, "Okay, what other security guarantees are possible?"

Zelenskyy was adamant that he needed to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putinin order to understand whether Russia even intends to stop the war. Putin has so far ignored Zelenskyy repeated requests for direct talks.

On Monday, Zelenskyy said again that he is ready to meet Putin "in any format" but would also not bow to ultimatums from Russia to surrender.

The president also suggested that after a cease-fire agreement, Kyiv would be ready to discuss the status of Crimea and the eastern Donbas region held by Russian-backed separatists.

However, Zelenskyy said he plans to put any agreements reached with Russia to a nationwide referendum for public approval.

Biden says India's response to war 'shaky'

US President Joe Biden said India's response to the war in Ukraine was an exception among Washington's allies.

India has so far refused to speak out against the Russian invasion and has abstained from UN resolutions condemning the war. 

Biden, during an address to a meeting of US business leaders in Washington late Monday, praised NATO, the European Union and "Quad" countries Japan and Australia, for their response to the war.

The so-called Quad countries, namely Australia, India, Japan, and United States, have in recent years formed a security dialogue that meets at regular intervals to discuss coordinating strategic policies in the Indo-Pacific region.

Unlike other Quad member, India continues to purchase Russian oil. Russia is also the top supplier of arms to India. 

"We have presented a united front throughout the NATO and in the Pacific ... with the possible exception of India being somewhat shaky on some of this," Biden said, referring to dealing with "Putin's aggression."

Biden praised Japan and Australia's response as  "extremely strong."

Ukraine intelligence claims Zelenskyy assassination bid foiled

Ukrainian counter-intelligence has scuppered a possible attempt on the life of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to local media reports.

News agency UNIAN reported that a man belonging to group of Russian saboteurs was arrested in Uzhhorod, a city in the far west of the country.

The group of up to 25 men planned on pretending to be members of the Ukrainian armed forces in a bid to make their way towards Kyiv. The report states that the group was also planning on carrying out acts of sabotage.

Ukraine's government has claimed that Russia has sent a number of assassination squads to kill Zelenskyy.

The report could not be independently verified.

Pentagon accuses Moscow of 'indiscriminate' attacks

The US Department of Defense has accused Russia of attacking Ukrainian cities in an "indiscriminate" manner.

"Whether that's cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, artillery fire, they're lobbying an awful lot of hardware into the cities to try to force their surrender," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. "And that's resulting in more civilian casualties, more damage to residential areas, hospitals, schools, and innocent victims at greater rates and greater numbers," Kirby said, adding: "In many ways, it's indiscriminate."

Russia pulls out of Japan peace treaty talks

Russia's Foreign Ministry says it has withdrawn from peace treaty negotiations with Japan, as a result of  sanctions imposed by Tokyo over the invasion of Ukraine.

"Under the current conditions Russia does not intend to continue negotiations with Japan on a peace treaty," the foreign ministry said and cited Japan's "openly unfriendly positions and attempts to damage the interests of our country."

Last week Japan announced plans to revoke Moscow's trade status and expand freezing of assets against Russian individuals.

Russia and Japan have not officially ended World War II hostilities due to a dispute over islands north of Hokkaido.

And Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hit back at Russia's decision to withdraw from the peace treaty.

"The latest situation occurred as a result of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and Russia's attempt to shift the issue to Japan-Russia relations is extremely unjustified and absolutely unacceptable," he said in parliament.

Japan "strongly protests," he added, condemning Russia for its actions to "unilaterally change the status quo by force."

Summary of Monday's events in Ukraine-Russia crisis

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said again that he is ready to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin "in any format" but would also not bow to ultimatums from Russia to surrender.

Russian publication Komsomolskaya Pravda briefly published a casualty figure of nearly 10,000 deaths of Russian soldiers since the invasion of Ukraine on February 24 began, but then deleted it.

US President Joe Biden says Vladimir Putin is considering the use of biological and chemical weapons as a false flag attack, based on US intelligence assessments.

The Pentagon has accused Russian forces of committing war crimes in Ukraine and said it would help gather evidence of them.

The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that Russia's attacks on the Ukrainian coastal city of Mariupol amount to a "war crime."

German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lawmaker Michael Brand called for sanctions against former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder over his strong links with Russia.

Humanitarian organization Save the Children said upwards of 6 million children are in imminent danger as a growing number of hospitals and schools come under attack during Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. 

A Moscow court ruled in favor of Russia's FSB intelligence services on Monday, agreeing to label the US internet giant Meta (formerly Facebook) an "extremist organization." 

lo,kb/wmr, jsi (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)