Russia Ukraine War Live Updates: Ukraine Vows No 'Capitulation' At Talks, Putin Orders Nuclear Alert
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Ukraine-Russia Crisis Live: Fighting has claimed dozens of civilian lives, forced hundreds and thousands of Ukrainians to flee west and could, according to the EU, eventually displace up to seven million people.
Ukraine vowed not to give ground at talks with Moscow on Sunday as Ukrainian forces resisted a Russian invasion four days in and Moscow put its nuclear forces on high alert.
Fighting has claimed dozens of civilian lives, forced hundreds and thousands of Ukrainians to flee west and could, according to the EU, eventually displace up to seven million people.
Russia has become an international pariah as its forces do battle on the streets of Ukraine's cities, facing a barrage of sanctions including a ban from Western airspace and key financial networks.
Ukraine said it had agreed to send a delegation to meet Russian representatives on the border with Belarus, which has allowed Russian troops passage to attack Ukraine.
But Kyiv insisted there were no pre-conditions to the talks.
"We will not capitulate, we will not give up a single inch of our territory," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said ahead of the first public contact between the two sides since war erupted.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky was sceptical.
"As always: I do not really believe in the outcome of this meeting, but let them try," he said.
Russia stripped of world junior swimming championships
Swimming's governing body FINA pulled the world junior championships from Russia Monday and said no other events will be held in the country "if this grave crisis continues".
Swimming powerhouse Australia welcomed the decision, which came after criticism that FINA had been slow to follow other sports in cancelling events following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"FINA remains extremely concerned with the continuing war in Ukraine and following ongoing consultation with athletes and stakeholders from the aquatics family, FINA can confirm that the eighth World Junior Swimming Championships is cancelled," it said on Twitter.
"FINA will not be holding any future events in Russia if this grave crisis continues," it added.
Belarus votes to give up non-nuclear status
Belarusians voted Monday to allow the country to host nuclear weapons and Russian forces permanently, results showed, part of a package of constitutional reforms that also extended the rule of leader Alexander Lukashenko.
The referendum was held Sunday as the ex-Soviet country's neighbour Ukraine is under attack from Russian troops and delegations from Moscow and Kyiv are expected to meet for talks on the Belarusian border.
Central Election Commission head Igor Karpenko said 65.16 percent of referendum participants voted in favour of the amendments and 10.07 percent voted against, Russian news agencies reported.
According to Karpenko, voter turnout stood at 78.63 percent.