Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin says 'certain positive movements' in negotiations
A third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine ended without any resolution.
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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Latest headlines:
- Ukrainian air force claims Russia carried out false flag airstrike in Belarus
- UN has credible reports of Russian cluster bomb use, attacks on health care
- Putin claims 'certain positive movements' in Ukraine negotiations
- Russian general prosecutor wants Meta declared 'extremist organization'
- Putin orders Russian military to help volunteer fighters from Middle East travel to Ukraine
Putin claims Ukraine invasion going according to plan
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the Ukraine invasion is going strictly according to plan on Thursday.
“I want to say that the special military operation is going strictly in accordance with the schedule, with the plan. All objectives are being successfully attained," Putin said in a televised meeting of his national security council.
“The very course of fighting shows that it is neo-Nazis whom we are fighting against," Putin said.
-ABC News' Patrick Reevell
Talks between Russia and Ukraine delegations end
Talks held between Russia and Ukraine on Thursday have stopped, according to officials.
Ukraine's presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, tweeted, "Unfortunately, the results Ukraine needs are not yet achieved."
Russia’s lead negotiator said the two sides agreed to open “humanitarian corridors” for civilians to leave Ukrainian cities.
The negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, who is an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that both sides had agreed to a possible “temporary cease-fire” in some “sectors” connected to the humanitarian corridors.
Medinsky called the result "substantial."
-ABC News' Christine Theodorou and Patrick Reevell
World leaders discuss new humanitarian assistance, disaster relief for Ukraine
President Joe Biden met with the prime ministers of Australia, India and Japan on Thursday where the Quad leaders discussed the conflict in Ukraine.
"The Quad leaders discussed the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications. They agreed to stand up a new humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mechanism which will enable the Quad to meet future humanitarian challenges in the Indo-Pacific and provide a channel for communication as they each address and respond to the crisis in Ukraine," the White House said in a statement.
-ABC News' Molly Nagle
Macron says Putin 'refuses to cease his attacks on Ukraine'
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted about his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, "At this point, he refuses to cease his attacks on Ukraine. Maintaining the dialogue to avoid human tragedies is absolutely necessary. I will continue my efforts and contacts. We must avoid the worst."
He added, "A dialogue to protect populations, to obtain moves that will avoid human tragedies, to put an end to this war: this is the meaning of my commitment alongside President Zelensky and the international community. My determination is and will remain total."
-ABC News' Christine Theodorou and Ibtissem Guenfoud
Russians running out of food, gas: US official
The Russian forces charging toward Kyiv haven't made progress in the last day as they face Ukrainian resistance and low food and gas supply, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Tuesday.
However, it could be a deliberate pause, the official said. "Part of the stall could be ... as a result of their own self-determined sort of pause in operations -- that they are possibly regrouping, rethinking, reevaluating," the official said.
The U.S. believes Russian forces "have committed now more than 80% of what was their pre-staged combat power," the official added.
The official said some Russian soldiers weren't told they were going into combat. The official said "not all of them were apparently fully trained and prepared."
The strong Ukrainian resistance has also hurt morale, according to the official.
Russia has now launched more than 400 missiles on Ukraine, the official said. The U.S. believes Russia has launchers that could be used for thermobaric weapons, but cannot confirm their use, the official said.
Russian forces are making the most progress in the south. Russians are attacking Kherson in south Ukraine, which "appears very much to be contested city at this point," the official said.
Russians are also approaching Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine, and while they haven't yet entered the city, "they are close enough now that they could attack Mariupol with long range fires," the official said.
Two towns on the path to Mariupol are believed to be occupied by the Russians, according to the official.
The U.S. believes the Russians hope to move north out of Mariupol up to the heavily-contested city of Kharkiv. The official said they believe Russian forces are trying to encircle Kharkiv.
The U.S. official noted that they've seen "certain risk-averse behavior by the Russian military" over the last week.
"Take the amphibious assault, for instance. They put those troops ashore a good 70 kilometers away from Mariupol because they knew Mariupol was going to be defended and they could put them ashore in an uncontested environment. And they still haven't reached Mariupol," the official said.
"They are not necessarily willing to take high risks with their own aircraft and their own pilots," the official said.
"And of course we're seeing that on the ground -- the fairly slow and steady progress that they have made, and you guys are seeing it for yourselves on the ground where ... units are surrendering, sometimes without a fight."
-ABC News' Matt Seyler