New Delhi, March 17: As Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the war was at a crossroads – either an agreement will be reached or Russia will launch a new offensive. Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry claimed that there is some 'hope for compromise' with Ukraine. For Russia the key issues include the security of people in eastern Ukraine and demilitarisation of Ukraine. Neutrality for Ukraine is being 'seriously discussed' in talks with Kyiv.

Canada is closing its airspace to Belarusian planes. For Russian planes, it was done earlier.

An emergency UN Security Council meeting was called to discuss the Ukraine humanitarian situation at 3pm ET today (March 17). The meeting has been called by the US, UK, France, Albania, Ireland, Norway.

Russian forces destroyed a theater in Mariupol where hundreds of people were sheltering Wednesday and rained fire on other cities, Ukrainian authorities said.  Russia-Ukraine War: Key Things To Know About the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict So Far

The airstrike ripped apart the center of the once-elegant building, where hundreds of civilians had been living since their homes had been destroyed in the fighting, Ukraine's foreign ministry said in a statement.   Russia-Ukraine War: International Court of Justice Orders Russia To Suspend Ukraine Invasion

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday that the US govt is in touch with Indian leaders continues to encourage them to work closely with it to stand up against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Considering India’s ties with Russia and its dependency on Moscow for military and security needs, the Biden administration has shown an understanding of the country’s position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Ukrainian and Russian delegations held talks again Wednesday by video. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's adviser Mikhailo Podolyak said Ukraine demanded a cease-fire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and legal security guarantees for Ukraine from a number of countries.

An official from the World Health Organization on Wednesday said that the WHO has delayed its ongoing assessment of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine for emergency use because of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The Sputnik V shot, widely used in Russia and approved in more than 60 countries, is also being reviewed by the European Medicines Agency.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 17, 2022 10:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).