Moscow and Kyiv meet for talks as attacks intensify

White House considering possible Biden trip to Europe

The White House is considering the possibility of President Joe Biden traveling to Europe in the coming weeks, according to three U.S. officials and two people familiar with the discussions. 

The trip, which would focus on the war in Ukraine and aim to reassure America’s allies in the region, has yet to be finalized, the sources said. One U.S. official said Brussels, home to NATO and the European Union, is under consideration as a possible location.

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Boston archbishop to take up special collection for Ukraine this weekend

Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston, said Monday that he is authorizing a special collection at all parishes on March 19 and 20 to support Ukraine amid Russian attacks.

“Through news coverage of the war, we have witnessed the immediate human crisis needs, including those caused by the horrendous bombing of a maternity hospital,” O’Malley said in the written announcement. “There will also be longer-term needs for rebuilding churches and hospitals and other recovery and reconstruction programs.”

Proceeds will be sent to Catholic Relief Services and the Vatican’s agency for outreach to churches in Eastern Europe, he said.

“The people of our archdiocese have a long history of generosity in times of local, national, and international disasters and for assisting with relief of human suffering,” he said. “Please join me in supporting the people of Ukraine through our prayers, our concern and our contributions.”

Water and sewage treatment plant destroyed by shelling in southern Ukrainian city

The water and sewage system in the southern Ukrainian city of Vasylivka has been destroyed as a result of Russian shelling, regional governor Oleksandr Starukh said Monday. 

He said the building that houses the sewage pumping system, which sends wastewater from the city to a sewage treatment plant, was destroyed.

“Even in the case of power recovery, the operation of treatment plants is impossible,” Starukh said on his Telegram account, adding that the construction and equipment of the sewage pumping system “needs major renovation.” He said that “return water from the city now enters the Dnipro River without any treatment.”

“As soon as possible, when access to these facilities will be available, repairs will be carried out,” he said.

Former ambassador: China’s the ‘winner’ in Russian energy sanctions

Former U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke said on MSNBC Monday that China is a major “winner” in the energy and other sanctions the West is imposing on Russia.

Because Russia is unable to sell energy supplies and agricultural output to the West, it will turn to close ally China, he said. But he added that he expects Beijing to “play both sides” of the conflict given that it had previously recognized Ukraine’s independence and has taken the position that countries shouldn’t interfere with one another.

“It will try to present that image of being a conciliatory entity, a player on the world stage without really doing anything,” Locke said of China.

He also said Russia and China have set up collaborative, independent financial transaction systems over the last several years “so that they can evade these sanctions,” adding that the heavy trade between the U.S. and China would make it “much harder” to sanction China for their support of Russia.

Pfizer to donate all Russia profits to Ukrainian humanitarian relief

Pfizer says it will donate all profits of its Russian subsidiary to humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine. 

While other large companies in the private sector have scaled back or cut off trade entirely with Russia, many drugmakers said last week that they would not halt operations. 

In a statement Monday, Pfizer reiterated that stance, saying that pausing the flow of life-saving medications to Russia “would be in direct violation of our foundational principle of putting patients first.”

However, the statement continued, “maintaining the supply of medicines to Russia does not mean we will continue doing business as usual in Russia.”

In addition to donating its Russian profits to Ukrainian relief efforts, Pfizer said it will stop recruiting new patients for clinical trials in Russia and will not begin any new trials there. The company said it does not own or operate any Russian manufacturing sites, but added that it will cease all planned investments with local suppliers intended to build manufacturing capacity. 

“These decisions align with our patient-first values and ensure that every dollar of profit derived from Russia will strengthen Ukraine and its people as they continue to valiantly defend their nation and freedom from this unprovoked and unjustified attack,” the statement said. 

Ukrainian foreign minister calls for more sanctions on Russia

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Monday that while more than 6,300 sanctions have been levied against Russia, they must be strengthened to have a detrimental effect on Russia’s economy. 

“Our position is simple: if we are going to block the sources of Russian economy then you have to do it fully,” he said at a press conference. “There’s no other way to stop the aggression by creating internal pressure on President Putin. We’re not stopping at the sanctions already imposed. While Russia Ukrainian children die under Russian bombs, sanctions are not enough.”

Kuleba called on Western companies to stop buying Russia oil, gas and coal and for world ports to close to Russian ships. The U.S. announced a ban on Russian energy products last week. 

“Russia must be stopped now using all available resources, and while the Ukrainians are paying blood to stop Russians ruining cities, the least those companies can do is leave the Russian markets and help us just to stop the machine of Russian aggression,” he said. 

Ukraine says talks with Russia taking ‘technical pause’ until tomorrow

Talks between Ukraine and Russia are taking a “technical pause” until tomorrow, according to a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who is leading Kyiv’s delegation.

The pause in negotiations was to allow “additional work in the working subgroups and clarification of individual definitions,” Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter.

Podolyak earlier posted a photo of the two sides meeting via video link. “Communication is being held yet it’s hard,” he said.

They are the fourth round of talks between the two countries, which have so far yielded some limited agreement on the establishment of humanitarian corridors but little broader progress toward an end to the war.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to virtually address Congress on Wednesday

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address members of Congress on Wednesday in a virtual address, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Monday.

“As war rages on in Ukraine, it is with great respect and admiration for the Ukrainian people that we invite all Members of the House and Senate to attend a Virtual Address to the United States Congress delivered by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine on Wednesday, March 16th at 9:00 a.m,” the two Democratic leaders said in a letter to members Monday announcing the address.

The virtual address will take place in an auditorium inside the Capitol Visitor Center on Capitol Hill. Only lawmakers can attend in person, but there will be a livestream available for public viewing.

Read more on NBCNews.com. 

First set of civilians able to evacuate besieged Mariupol through safe corridor

Max Burman

2h ago / 1:47 PM UTC

A first group of civilians has been able to escape the besieged southeastern city of Mariupol along a humanitarian corridor.

More than 160 private cars were able to evacuate from the port city Monday, the Mariupol city council said in a post on Telegram, and were headed toward Zaporizhzhia further north. Russian forces were so far observing a cease-fire along the route, the city council added.

The news comes after days of failed attempts to evacuate civilians trapped in dire conditions under Russian shelling. The strategic city has been encircled and bombarded, leaving its residents without water, heat, food and supplies for more than a week.

The Ukrainian government is hoping to let civilians leave and also bring in a convoy of aid and supplies for the city.

Pregnant woman pictured being evacuated from shelled maternity hospital has died, Ukraine says

A pregnant woman pictured being carried from a Ukrainian maternity hospital after it was shelled by Russian forces has died along with her unborn baby, Ukraine’s foreign ministry said on Monday.

The woman, who has not been named, was photographed on a stretcher as she was being taken to an ambulance amid the devastation and ruin in the besieged city of Mariupol on March 9.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack “an atrocity” and said that three people died in the bombing. It’s unclear if the unnamed woman’s death is in addition to these.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry announced the woman’s death in a tweet, and repeated the government’s plea for Western powers to enforce a no-fly zone over the country to prevent future airstrikes.

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As fighting intensifies in Ukraine, China pushes back on reports Russia asked it for help

Beijing has pushed back on reports that Russia had asked China for military equipment and other support following the start of its invasion of Ukraine, saying on Monday that “the U.S. has been spreading disinformation and this is very dangerous.”

“We need to advance a diplomatic solution of the situation instead of further escalating the situation,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing.

As fighting intensified across Ukraine, three American officials said on Sunday that the U.S. government had reason to believe that Russia had asked China for the help.

News of the requests came amid the intensifying Russian bombing of Ukrainian cities and residential areas, and was expected to be a key topic of discussion between President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and China’s senior diplomat, Yang Jiechi, during a meeting scheduled for later on Monday in Rome.

On Sunday, a particularly deadly Russian airstrike on a military base in western Ukraine killed at least 35 people.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Moscow had requested military aid from other countries.

The officials with knowledge of Russia’s request to China declined to elaborate on whether Beijing agreed to supply military aid, or whether the United States even knows the answer to that question. They declined say what kind of equipment was requested, and whether it was lethal.

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Lviv residents welcome those fleeing, say they have no nostalgia for Soviet Union

LVIV, Ukraine — Lifelong Lviv residents Myroslav Pavlyshyn, 63, and Myron Beheza, 72, were enjoying a rare sunny afternoon in the city’s historic district on Sunday.

Earlier that morning, a Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s Yavoriv military base just 40 miles away killed 35 people and wounded at least 130. It was a wakeup call for the residents of still-peaceful Lviv, in western Ukraine. The war is getting closer. But the influx of refugees has already dramatically changed the city. 

“So many people, so many people came,” Pavlyshyn said.

Beheza said they went to a railway station on Sunday. “Buses, trains are coming one after another. So many people — it makes me tear up,” he said. “It’s hard but our people are very welcoming. They give out coffee, sandwiches and send the [refugees] farther to Poland. In every household, people are sheltering refugees.”

He added that the mayor said it’s been hard on the city, but said the residents were coping “just fine.” 

“It’s so hard for me,” Beheza said as he wiped away tears with a handkerchief. “Poor people, small children, elderly, they have nothing with them. They have been kicked out of their warm apartments and came here. But our people are very kind. We help them with everything we can. It will be fine, we will win.”

Ukrainians from Pavlyshyn and Beheza’s generation were born in the then-Soviet Union and spent more than half their lives under its power. Pavlyshyn had no nostalgia for the past.

“In the Soviet Union, everyone was stealing everything,” he said. “There were huge lines to the shops, shelves were empty. Every now and then, you can see elderly people saying how great things were under the Soviet Union. They had to stand in the line for the whole night just to buy some milk. F— the Soviet Union.”

Qatari and Russian foreign ministers discuss Ukraine at meeting in Moscow

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Monday.

Lavrov said the two spoke at length about the situation in Ukraine, including the creation of humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians. He also reiterated Russia’s claim that the conflict is aimed at protecting territory controlled by Russian-backed separatists from direct military threats, though the Kremlin invaded after months of military buildup and political demands and the war has extended far beyond those areas.

Ukrainian general prosecutor’s office says 90 children have died since the conflict began

Ninety Ukrainian children have died and more than 100 wounded since the start of the conflict, the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said Monday in a statement posted on Telegram, citing juvenile prosecutors.

The statement said most victims were in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Zhytomyr regions.

It added that more than 379 educational institutions have been hit by bombs and shelling, of which 59 have been completely destroyed. 

NBC News was not able to independently verify the numbers.

1 dead, 7 injured in attack on high-rise in Kyiv

Russian forces fired on a high-rise in Kyiv, killing one and injuring seven, Kyiv state administration said on Telegram. Officials added that shelling was also directed at the Antonov aircraft plant in the capital. 

Kyiv and Moscow to meet for fourth round of negotiations

A fourth round of negotiations were set to take place between Moscow and Kyiv on Monday, according to a tweet from a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Russia establishes ‘distant blockade’ of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast

Russian naval forces have established a “distant blockade” of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, effectively isolating the country from international maritime trade, Britain’s ministry of defense said on Monday. 

In addition, 2.5 million Ukrainians had fled their homes as a result of the invasion, it said.

“Indiscriminate Russian shelling and air attacks are causing widespread destruction,” it added.

There have already been 1,663 civilian casualties since the Russian invasion began, according to the United Nations. True figures are expected to be much higher, the ministry said. 

Russian forces have also conducted one amphibious landing in the Sea of Azov, the ministry added on Twitter. 

Russia sought military aid from China, U.S. officials say

Josh Lederman

7h ago / 8:51 AM UTC

LVIV, Ukraine — The U.S. government has reason to believe Russia asked China for military equipment and other support following the start of its war in Ukraine, three U.S. officials confirmed Sunday.

The officials declined to elaborate on whether China agreed to the request, or whether the U.S. even knows the answer to that question. They declined say what kind of equipment was requested, and whether it was lethal.

News of the request was first reported by the Financial Times.

U.S. concerns about Russia’s request were expected to be a key issue when President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, meets Monday in Rome with China’s senior diplomat, Yang Jiechi. The White House announced that meeting earlier Sunday.

Russia’s Embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said he had not heard about the request.

“China is deeply concerned and grieved on the Ukraine situation,” he added. “We sincerely hope that the situation will ease and peace will return at an early date.”

The White House had no comment.

Earlier Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Sullivan warned non-allies against aiding Russia’s war effort, and he singled out China.

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Taiwan says ASUS will ‘evacuate’ Russia after Ukraine urges exit

TAIPEI — The Taiwanese personal computer maker ASUS will consider its reputation and put in place a plan to “evacuate” its staff and business in Russia, Taiwan’s economy minister said on Monday, after a Ukrainian minister asked it to leave the country.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister and minister of digital transformation, tweeted a letter on Thursday to ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih calling on the company to end its business in Russia. Moscow has invaded Ukraine in what the Russian government calls a “special operation.”