Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin says 'certain positive movements' in negotiations

A third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine ended without any resolution.

ByMorgan Winsor, Emily Shapiro, Julia Jacobo, Nadine El-Bawab, Meredith Deliso, Ivan Pereira, Kevin Shalvey, Bill Hutchinson, and Celia Darrough
Last Updated: March 22, 2022, 10:04 AM EDT

Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials.

The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation."

Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance, coming within about 9 miles as of Friday.

Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.

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Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Mar 10, 2022, 2:09 PM EST

Biden speaks to Turkey's Erdogan to discuss invasion of Ukraine

President Joe Biden spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Thursday to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, after Turkey hosted talks between Russia and Ukraine's foreign ministers.

"President Biden expressed appreciation for Turkey’s efforts to support a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, as well as Turkey’s recent engagements with regional leaders that help promote peace and stability," the White House said in a statement.

In this March 1, 2022, file photo, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a joint news conference in Ankara, Turkey.
Presidential Press Office via Reuters, FILE

The two leaders also discussed opportunities to strengthen their bilateral ties. In a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the call was "constructive" and confirmed it was lengthy, lasting around an hour or more.

"It is important that [Turkey] is in a facilitator position in search for a solution, in case the Russia-Ukraine crisis deepens further," Erdogan told Biden, according to Turkey's Anadolu, a state-run news agency.

"Even organizing a tripartite meeting of foreign ministers of [Turkey], Russia, and Ukraine in Antalya is a diplomatic victory by itself," he told Biden, according to the news service.

According to Anadolu, Erdogan also told Biden "it is time to lift all unjust sanctions" on Turkey's defense industry.

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou and Molly Nagle

Mar 10, 2022, 1:47 PM EST

Children with cancer evacuated on 'Train of Hope'

Urgent efforts are continuing to evacuate the most medically vulnerable populations out of Ukraine.

Dubbed in European media as the "Train of Hope," essentially a rolling hospital with several cars filled with beds and medical equipment, the locomotive carried child cancer patients Thursday after it left an obscure train stop along Poland’s border with Ukraine.

Polish paramedics carry a child into train wagon transformed for medical transport on March 10, 2022, in Medyka, Poland.
Omar Marques/Getty Images

The children, who were visibly exhausted and accompanied by parents clearly in distress, will travel on an eight-hour journey to Gdynia, a city in northern Poland.

The train was initially set up by Poland's Ministry of Health to transport the wounded from fighting in Ukraine to hospitals in Poland. Instead, it has been used to carry hundreds of refugees, along with sick children and pregnant mothers, to Poland.

One medic told ABC News that the maiden trip two weeks ago was intended to be a training mission. But when they arrived to a sea of people, the crew decided to evacuate 600 refugees — the majority of whom were children fighting cancer, the medic said.

-ABC News' Chris Donato and Marcus Moore

Mar 10, 2022, 1:47 PM EST

Russian Defense Ministry claims Mariupol hospital attack was staged despite earlier confirming the strike

Russia's Defense Ministry spokesman on Thursday claimed it did not carry out the attack on a children's hospital in Mariupol, which Ukrainian officials said killed 3 people and injured 17.

Russian officials, including its foreign minister, had earlier said they targeted the hospital, claiming it was being used as a firing position by Ukrainian nationalists.

Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman claimed that the devastating bombing was staged.

-ABC News' Patrick Reevell

Mar 10, 2022, 1:32 PM EST

Blinken speaks to Polish foreign minister

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to his Polish counterpart, Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, to discuss joint security and humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, specifically Russia's attacks on civilian population centers, according to the U.S. State Department.

The two met on the Polish-Ukrainian border Saturday. The phone call comes amid disagreements over sending fighter jets to Ukraine after Poland said it is willing to send the jets to a U.S. base in Germany, the Pentagon said the move could be seen by Russia as "escalatory."

"Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Rau discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts, including sanctions, to stop Putin’s war of aggression. The Secretary reiterated the United States’ steadfast support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," the U.S. State Department said in a release.

The State Department added, "The Secretary and Foreign Minister also discussed the continued importance of providing security assistance to Ukraine."

The call comes as Vice President Harris visits Poland, and after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called his Polish counterpart on Wednesday.

Blinken also spoke to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba Wednesday, ahead of his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

-ABC News' Conor Finnegan

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