Russian media: Putin visits Mariupol
6:52 | Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol. The Russian media report it. The visit, the first to occupied territory in the Donbas region since the start of the war, was not announced.
According to the state news agency TASS, Putin flew to Mariupol by helicopter and then drove to various districts of the city by car, where he spoke with residents. Among other things, he stopped in the Nevsky district, a new residential area built by the Russian army.
The southern Ukrainian port city was the hotbed of war in the first months after the invasion and was heavily bombed. The Russians took control of the city in May. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised to recapture the city in his daily video message last Thursday.
Putin visited Crimea on Saturday. It has been exactly nine years since Russia annexed the peninsula in southern Ukraine. His tour this weekend has brought Putin closer to the front line in Ukraine than it has since the invasion began.
Saturday 18 March
It is unclear how long the new grain deal between Russia and Ukraine will last
17:05 | After lengthy negotiations, Russia and Ukraine, together with Turkey and the United Nations, have reached another deal on wheat. According to Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, this will apply for a period of 120 days. But the Russian Foreign Ministry speaks of only 60 days.
Talks of a new deal have been very difficult in recent weeks and the current deals are set to expire on March 18. The duration of a new deal was one of the sticking points.
The grain deal allows Kiev, but also Moscow, to export grain, manure and other agricultural products via the Black Sea, despite the war. Both countries are major global suppliers of grain.
If it were indeed a 120-day extension, it would be a victory for Ukraine. Russia previously said it would prefer to close a deal for just 60 days. Moscow had already communicated on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached for sixty days, but that message later proved to be incorrect.
The original agreement dates back to July of last year. This is the second time the wheat deal has been extended. The deal caused global food prices to rise less rapidly.
At the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago, large shortages threatened and prices soared. The agreement is therefore one of the few diplomatic successes since the war.
Russia and Ukraine agree another 120-day deal on grains
3:30 pm | After lengthy negotiations, Russia and Ukraine, together with Turkey and the United Nations, have agreed on another grain deal for a period of 120 days. This was reported by the Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also confirms the new deal, although he does not say how long it will last.
A confirmation from Russia is not yet available. Talks on a new deal have been very difficult in recent weeks and the current deals were set to expire on March 18.
The grain deal allows Kiev, but also Moscow, to export grain, manure and other agricultural products via the Black Sea, despite the war. Both countries are major global suppliers of grain.
It appears to be a victory for Ukraine that the agreement is valid again for a period of four months. Russia has preferred to make an agreement for only 60 days. Moscow even reported on Tuesday that a deal had been reached 60 days ago, but that message turned out to be incorrect.
The original agreement dates back to July last year. This is the second time the wheat deal has been extended. The deal has caused global food prices to rise less rapidly.
At the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago, large shortages threatened and prices soared. The agreement is therefore one of the few diplomatic successes since the war.