US President Joe Biden has clarified his own ad-lib remarks made in Poland, saying he was speaking directly to the Russian people
During a speech in Warsaw, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” with White House aids jumping in to clear up the incident.
When asked why he made the comment, Biden says he’s “not walking anything back”
As Ukraine and Russia peace talks get set to resume this week in Turkey, it appears Russian President Vladimir Putin is unwilling to compromise.
Ukrainian officials have also played down the major breakthrough after Turkey’s president spoke with Putin on Sunday.
Can a peace deal be made?
However, Ukraine’s president Zelensky says his government is still willing to adopt a neutral status as part of a peace deal.
Speaking to independent Russian media, Zelensky says any such deal made with Russia will need to first be put to a referendum.
Zelensky says his country is “ready to go” when it comes to “security guarantees and neutrality” as well as a “non-nuclear status”.
Neutrality refers to one nation’s agreement to not align militarily with any others.
But with in person talks resuming, some experts say this represents a shift in play behind the scenes, as Russia’s invasion stalls and increasing Western sanctions take their toll.
As the threat of nuclear warfare lingers, the UN Secretary General says there are steps being taken to guarantee the security of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities.
In the besieged city of Mariupol, civilians remain under constant attack, with the city’s mayor saying there are still 160,000 people trapped inside.
Russia has been accused of blocking evacuation attempts, as the UK’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warns the West needs to ensure Ukraine isn’t sold out.
