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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Lukashenko to meet with Putin in Moscow on Friday

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will travel to Russia on Friday for a meeting with his close ally and Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

The two leaders will meet in Moscow where they "will discuss key issues concerning bilateral relations, the development of union cooperation and economic cooperation in conditions of sanctions pressure," according to the Pool of the First Man channel on Telegram, which is reportedly linked to Belarusian state media.

"The situation in the region and in Ukraine is on the agenda as well," the channel said.


Western Union suspends operations in Russia, Belarus

Western Union announced Thursday that it is suspending its operations in Russia and close ally Belarus amid the Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

The Denver-based money-transfer and payments company said in a statement that it "stands with the world in condemning the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine."

"All of us share the shock, disbelief, and sadness around this tragedy and humanitarian disaster," the company added. "Our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine and to our colleagues, customers, agents, and partners who have been impacted."

Company leadership have engaged in extensive dialogue with a wide variety of stakeholders "in an earnest effort to arrive at the right decision regarding our services in Russia and Belarus," according to Western Union.

"We have thoroughly evaluated internal and external considerations, including the consequences for our valued teammates, partners, and customers," the company said. "Ultimately, in light of the ongoing tragic impact of Russia’s prolonged assault on Ukraine, we have arrived at the decision to suspend our operations in Russia and Belarus."

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou


Harris announces $50 million in aid to UN World Food Program after meeting with Polish president

Vice President Kamala Harris announced Thursday that the U.S. will be giving $50 million in humanitarian assistance to the United Nations World Food Program.

Harris made the announcement during a joint press conference after she met with Poland's President Andrzej Duda.

USAID will deliver the funds to the WFP, which go toward providing emergency food aid, such as high-energy biscuits, to refugees and supporting the WFP's operations to get aid into Ukraine, according to a release from USAID.

Including the aid money announced Thursday, the U.S. has provided $107 million in humanitarian aid since Russia's war against Ukraine started, according to USAID.

In the press conference, Harris and Duda spoke about the unified partnership between the U.S. and Poland on the war in Ukraine.

"We will do everything together in partnership, in solidarity, to support what is necessary this very moment in terms of the humanitarian and security needs of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people," Harris said.

Harris and Duda also condemned the Russian attack on a maternity hospital which killed 3 people and wounded 17, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"We have been witnessing for weeks, and certainly just in the last 24 hours, atrocities of unimaginable proportions,” Harris said.

Duda went as far as saying if hospitals and residential buildings are bombed where there are no military installations, "this is an act of barbarity baring the features of a genocide."

“We cannot accept such military activities that bare the characteristics of genocide," Duda said.

Harris also announced that the U.S. has delivered Patriot missile systems to Poland, which it had promised earlier this week, and noted the recent deployment of 4,700 U.S. troops to Poland.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle and Conor Finnegan


At least 549 civilians, including 41 children, killed in Ukraine: OHCHR

At least 549 civilians, including 41 children, have been killed in Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24, according to the latest figures from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Meanwhile, at least 957 civilians, including 52 children, have been injured, OHCHR figures show.

The tallies are civilian casualties that occurred in Ukraine from Feb. 24 to March 9 and have been verified by OHCHR, which cautioned that "actual figures are much higher."

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou


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