LIVE: West Doesn't Want Resolution to Conflict - Russia

On Monday, 47 days after the start of their military operation in Ukraine, Russian troops maintain the initiative in the Donetsk, Mariupol and Kharkiv regions. Below are the main developments as they occur.

Japan approves additional sanctions against 398 people and 28 organizations from Russia

The Japanese government on Tuesday approved additional sanctions against 398 people and 28 organizations from Russia in connection with the situation around Ukraine, according to the website of the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

In particular, deputies of the State Duma fell under sanctions.

Blinken said that India should take a stand on the situation around Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said India should make its own decisions about how it deals with the situation around Ukraine.

"India must make its own decisions about how it approaches this challenge," Blinken said at a news conference after a meeting of U.S. and Indian foreign policy and defense chiefs.

At the same time, he noted that the U.S. considers it "important that all countries, especially those with leverage, put pressure on Putin to stop the war."

According to Blinken, it is important that "democracies stand together and speak with one voice, defending the values we share."

The secretary of state said the U.S. "will continue to increase our support for the government and people of Ukraine and encourage other countries to do the same, just as we call on all countries to condemn Moscow's increasingly violent actions."

"And I would also note that India is providing significant humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine, particularly medicine, which is much needed and in real demand," he added.

For his part, Indian Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar said that India is "against the conflict" and "for dialogue and diplomacy" and for an "urgent end to violence."

"We are ready to contribute in any way we can to achieve these goals," he said.

Blinken said the U.S. hopes its allies and partners will not increase their purchases of Russian energy, and urged all countries to avoid new deals to buy arms from Russia.

"When it comes to oil purchases, sanctions and so forth, I would just point out that there are restrictions on energy purchases. Of course, we encourage countries not to buy additional energy from Russia," the U.S. secretary of state said.

Blinken and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin are on a working visit to India.

Earlier, U.S. President Joe Biden held a video conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked him not to increase Russia's oil imports. Since the beginning of Russia's special operation in Ukraine, India has purchased at least 13 million barrels of oil from Russia, with a total of 16 million barrels of similar purchases by India in the whole of 2021.

Austrian Chancellor told Putin about Zelensky's desire for direct talks

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he conveyed to Russian President Vladimir Putin Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's desire for direct talks.

"I informed him that President Zelensky wants direct contact for negotiations," Nehammer said, his remarks broadcast live on the German television channel Welt.

Nehammer visited Moscow on Monday and met with Putin; there was no press conference following the meeting.

West doesn’t want diplomatic resolution of conflict in Ukraine - Russian diplomat

The West doesn’t want the diplomatic settlement of the conflict in Ukraine pushing Kiev to stake on more militarism, Russian Permanent Representative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich said on Monday.

"We see how foreign patrons of the current Ukrainian authorities are persistently dissuading them from political and diplomatic ways," the Russian foreign ministry quoted him as saying at a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council.

After such "encouraging" signals from Western capitals, Ukraine’s leadership "has changed its rhetoric to stake on militarism again," he noted.

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The Kremlin will go to court if the West declares Russia in default. "Of course, we are going to go to court, because we have taken all necessary actions so that investors receive their payments," Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said.

President Vladimir Putin's administration will present proof that Russia did everything possible to pay off the Eurobonds in the currencies in which the debt was originally contracted.

"Western countries' deliberate policy is to artificially create a payment suspension," he added, recalling that all Russian accounts were blocked, which prevents Moscow from paying bondholders. However, Russia opened accounts so that foreign investors could receive the expected payments in ruble equivalent.

"Will they be able to convert rubles into foreign currency? Yes, but according to our position, this can be done once Russia's foreign currency accounts are unfrozen," Siluanov explained

Russia in favor of continuing negotiations with Ukraine.  Despite Ukraine's inconsistency and tendency to reject its own proposals, Russia prefers to continue the negotiation process, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, adding that Moscow will be patient and persistent throughout the negotiations.

His country, however, will never play a subordinate role in the current world order. "Russia, with its history... its traditions, is one of those countries that will never occupy a subordinate position. We can only be members of the international community on equal terms, under conditions (that guarantee) the indivisibility of security," Lavrov stressed.

Croatia expels 18 diplomats and 6 employees from the Russian embassy in Zagreb. The Croatian Foreign Affairs Ministry decided to reduce the size of the Russian diplomatic representation on its territory. In a note to the Russian ambassador, Croatia also called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

Russia keeps up the pressure in Donetsk, Mariupol and Kharkov. In the Donetsk area, Russia continues to focus on taking control of the Popasna, Rubizhne, Nyzhne, and Novobahmutivka settlements. Russian troops also seek to fully control the city of Mariupol, where their offensive continues in the Azovstal plant and seaport areas.

The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War maintains that Russian forces have gained ground in Mariupol over the last 24 hours. Currently, this city is divided in two zones: while the center is controlled by the Russians, the main port and the Azovstal steel plant remain in Ukrainian hands.

Overnight, the Russian Armed Forces destroyed Ukrainian military equipment and facilities. Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that high-precision air-launched missiles near Velyka Novosilka destroyed the base for the repair of weapons and military equipment of the Ukrainian air defense forces.

Ukraine imposes a full embargo on imports of goods from Russia. From now on, no Russian products will be able to be imported into Ukraine. "Such a decisive step by Ukraine can serve as an example for our Western partners and will stimulate them to strengthen sanctions against Russia," Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.

Russia raised its reserve fund by US$3.4 billion. The largest source of the increase was additional oil and gas revenues received in the first quarter of 2022. Russia's reserve fund was created to finance unforeseen expenses not covered by the federal budget.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces said that the Russians did "not stop trying to break through the defense of Ukrainian troops in Izyum City. The Russian military is "trying to take full control of the city of Mariupol." Meanwhile, a rocket attack conducted by Russian forces on Sunday destroyed an airport in the city of Dnipro in central Ukraine, Valentyn Reznichenko, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk military-civilian administration said.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer will meet with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday. Nehammer said he planned the visit to Moscow on his own initiative with an aim to promote dialogue between Russia and Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky had a phone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. They discussed defense and financial support for Ukraine. In their talks, the pair also touched upon the sanctions against Russia over its conflict with Ukraine.