Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Russia "must stop bombing people" before ceasefire talks can resume.
There was no breakthrough this week in talks between the two sides on the Belarus border.
"It's necessary to at least stop bombing people, just stop the bombing and then sit down at the negotiating table," Zelenskiy told Reuters.
The ultimatum came as missiles reportedly hit a TV tower in the Ukraine capital of Kyiv, taking some channels off air. Five people were killed in the strike.
A 64-kilometre convoy of Russian troops and tanks is reportedly 35km outside Kyiv but has been slowed down by heavy Ukrainian resistance. A missile strike in the country's second-largest city Kharkiv reportedly killed 18 civilians and led the Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba to accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing more war crimes.
US President Joe Biden has had a telephone conversation with Zelenski offering him more support but fell short of imposing a no-fly zone over the country.
What you need to know:
- Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba has accused Vladimir Putin, of "murdering innocent civilians" in a tweet after a huge explosion in Kharkiv’s Freedom Square, calling it a “barbaric missile strike."
- US President has offered more support for the country in a telephone conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
- More than 670,000 Ukrainians have fled the country since the invasion began six days ago,
- The International Court of Justice said on Tuesday local time it would hold hearings on March 7 and 8 over the war in Ukraine as fighting intensifies
- New Zealand condemned Russia at an emergency meeting at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday
- Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta spoke at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, saying that war must stop immediately
- At least 352 Ukrainians, including 14 children, have been killed, with more than 1600 wounded. That toll is expected to grow significantly.
These live updates are now closed.
3:00pm - US President Joe Biden has used his State of the Union speech to criticise the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Biden led a standing ovation for the embattled Ukrainian people on Tuesday in a State of the Union speech that he rewrote to assail Russian President Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine.
"Let each of us if you're able to stand, stand and send an unmistakable signal to Ukraine and to the world," Biden said.
Often polarized along partisan lines, Democrats and Republicans rose to applaud his support for Ukraine, many waving Ukrainian flags and cheering in the chamber of the House of Representatives at his first formal State of the Union speech.
In a deviation from his prepared remarks, Biden said of Putin: "He has no idea what's coming."
Biden's challenge was to show Americans he is on top of the West's response to the most tense period in relations with Russia since the Cold War ended 30 years ago.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has tested Biden's ability to respond rapidly to events without sending American forces into battle. The crisis has forced Biden to reshape the speech to focus on uniting Americans around a global effort to punish Moscow and support Kyiv.
He launched heavy criticism of Putin in his remarks, saying the Russian leader had badly miscalculated Ukraine.
"He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never imagined. He met the Ukrainian people," he said. "From President Zelenskiy to every Ukrainian, their fearlessness, their courage, their determination, inspires the world."
Biden said Putin ignored efforts to prevent war.
"Putin's war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn't respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home," Biden will say. "Putin was wrong. We were ready."
Biden announced the United States will ban Russian flights from American airspace.
In a show of support for Ukraine, first lady Jill Biden had as her guest at the speech the Ukraine ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, who traveled in the Biden motorcade from the White House to Capitol Hill.
Reuters
2:30pm - Footage has emerged of a missile attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city.
Kharkiv region head Oleg Synegubov said on Tuesday the missile attack hit residential areas and near the regional administration building.
Synegubov said Russia launched GRAD and cruise missiles on Kharkiv but that the city defence was holding.
"Such attacks are [a] genocide of the Ukrainian people, a war crime against the civilian population!" he said.
Read the full story here.
2:00pm - The Conversation has published a piece look at whether Putin would follow up on his threat to use nuclear weapons.
Just days before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia and its ally Belarus engaged in nuclear exercises. In announcing the invasion itself, Putin pointedly referred to Russia's standing as "one of the most powerful nuclear powers in the world". The Russian president seemed to reserve the nuclear option as a response to a "direct attack on our country".
But he warned ominously that those who try "to hinder us" in Ukraine could face "consequences greater than any you have faced in history". Russia, it was feared, might also take preemptive measures. In his broadcast to the Russian people on February 21, Putin also suggested – falsely – that the Ukrainian leadership was seeking to obtain its own nuclear arms.
Anxieties over Putin's intentions were raised further shortly after Russia's invasion was launched. Russia's nuclear forces, Putin declared on February 27, had been placed on high alert.
This, the Russian president claimed, was a response to "aggressive statements against our country" by "senior officials of leading Nato countries". Speculation on that occasion focused on how the Russian leadership had become spooked by the severity of economic sanctions and slow progress on the battlefield.
1:15pm - The Wall Street Journal is reporting the US is about to ban Russian planes from its airspace as it broadens its sanctions against the country.
Late on Tuesday, United Airlines said it has temporarily suspended flying over Russian airspace, joining other major US carriers who have taken the step after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The move follows similar bans by Canada and Europe. European flights are banned from entering Russian airspace.
1:00pm - Four people including a child were killed when homes in the Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr were hit on Tuesday by a Russian cruise missile apparently aimed at a nearby air base, Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, said on his Telegram channel.
He said the residential buildings near the base of the 95th Airborne Brigade in Zhytomyr, 120 km (75 miles) west of the capital Kyiv, had been set on fire,
"So far, four people have died. Including a child," he said.
Reuters
12:50pm - Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta's trip to Europe has ended with the minister saying it was a productive trip.
"This visit allowed me to take a further step in reconnecting New Zealand to the world, and to develop relationships with my Ministerial counterparts and leaders of key international organisations in person," Mahuta said in a statement.
The trip included visits to London, Paris and Geneva. In Geneva Mahuta addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council ‑ the first time a New Zealand Foreign Minister has addressed the High Level Segment since the Council’s establishment in 2006.
"Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply committed to progressing universal human rights and protecting the dignity and mana of all people. Upholding our collective responsibility to do so is more-timely than ever as New Zealand stands with Ukraine against Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion," Nanaia Mahuta said.
"I was pleased to be able to deliver our national statement to the Human Rights Council, reiterate the important role that multilateralism and diplomacy has and continue the call for aggression against Ukraine to stop.
"As we also continue to see deteriorating human rights situations in many other countries due to conflict, the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenge of climate change – it was vital to remember what can be achieved when we all work together in partnership," Mahuta said.
12:30pm - Nearly a week since Russian troops poured over the border, they have not captured a single major Ukrainian city after running into far fiercer resistance than they expected.
"Looking at the Russian operation so far, they're having tremendous problems with logistics and communications. The whole effort seems shambolic," Michael Kofman, an expert on the Russian military at Washington's Wilson Center, wrote in a tweet.
Many Western military analysts fear that Russia will now fall back on tactics which call for crushing bombardment of built-up areas before trying to enter them.
A senior US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said:
"One reason why things appear to be stalled north of Kyiv is that the Russians themselves are regrouping and rethinking and trying to adjust to the challenges that they've had."
The Russians have been surprised not only by the scale of Ukrainian resistance but also by poor morale among their own forces, some of whom surrendered without a fight, the official said, without providing evidence.
Russia still has more forces to throw into the fight, though.
Reuters
12:15pm - The US has ruled out establishing a no-fly zone over Ukrainian air space as it would be a step towards direct conflict with Russia, which is something they are keen to avoid.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday NZ time called for a no-fly zone to be set up over the country to stop Russian missile attacks, but the US has rejected that.
"The president has been very clear that he is not intending to send US troops to fight a war with Russia," White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said.
"And I think what’s important to note here is that is essentially what this would be a step toward, because a no-fly zone would require implementation.
"It would require deploying US military to enforce which would be a direct conflict, a potentially direct conflict, and potentially war with Russia, which is something we are not planning to be a part of."
If a no-fly zone was set up it would have to be enforced, which could be problematic a former US Air Force general told Foreign Policy magazine.
"You don't just say that's a no-fly zone you have to enforce it," he told the magazine.
"It is tantamount to war, if we are going to declare a no-fly zone we have to take down the enemy's capability to fire into it and affect the no-fly zone."
12:00 - US President Joe Biden will address Americans on Tuesday US time and say the West was ready for Putin's invasion of Ukraine and his administration is prepared with a plan to fight inflation, according to excerpts of his State of the Union address.
"Throughout our history we've learned this lesson - when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos. They keep moving. And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising," Biden will say, according to excerpts of his address released by the White House.
Biden will say that Putin eschewed efforts to prevent war.
"Putin's war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn't respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home," Biden will say. "Putin was wrong. We were ready."
Reuters
11:45am - NBC is reporting Vladimir Putin is growing increasingly frustrated by the lack of military success in Ukraine, and by the world's condemnation of his actions.
NBC reports US intelligence agencies say Putin is under pressure as the economy struggles with the global sanctions imposed on it since the invasion. They say he is lashing out at his staff. US Intelligence is also concerned Putin may resort to more extreme measures to end the Ukrainian resistance.
"This is somebody that’s clearly been caught off guard by the size of the Ukrainian resistance," Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said on MSNBC.
"He has isolated himself. He’s not been in the Kremlin very much. ... You’ve got less and less inputs, and these inputs are from sycophants.
"I do worry that he’s been backed into a corner. I do worry that there is no obvious exit ramp."
11:30am - Ukrainian journlaist Illia Ponomarenko has written a piece in the Kyiv Independent telling foreigners how they can help his countrymen.
He says one way is to give money:
"Every dollar makes a difference when there are many people ready to donate – and Ukraine’s army knows this from experience.
"Foreign citizens can help by donating money to such projects.
"The Kyiv Independent responsibly recommends Come Back Alive (Povertaysya Zhyvym), a Kyiv-based charity, for this purpose. Over the years of war, this organization has won the reputation as one of the most trustworthy and accountable charities working for the military in Ukraine."
11:00am - Lisette Reymer told AM this morning there was an incredible sense of community at the Ukraine Polish border as people from all over Europe were arriving to help the refugees.
Reymer told AM people were bringing goods such as food, water and nappies to the border.
Reymer said the "sense of spirit is incredible."
She said people had driven to the border from all over Europe and were offering the refugees lifts to cities such as Munich and Prague.
She said people are being incredibly generous.
"It is remarkable to see how the community is rallying, not just the Polish community but the European community."
10:45am - In case you missed it Newshub European correspondent Lisette Reymer did a moving story on Ukrainian refugees reaching the Polish border.
The joy of reaching safety was off set by the fact many had left husbands, fathers, sons and brothers behind to fight.
You can read the full story here.
The Guardian's Shaun Walker has written a piece about Ukrainians trying to leave the capital city of Kyiv.
Walker says there "were piercing screams of children mingled with the barking of traumatised dogs and the shouts of soldiers desperately trying to maintain order, as the 14.07 to Ivano-Frankivsk pulled into Kyiv’s central station."
He describes the frantic struggle to board the few trains out of the city.
10:30am - Global companies have started to put pressure on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine with tech giants Apple and Google both removing Russian state-funded services from their platforms.
Apple has also stopped all product sales in Russia, which presumably includes the sale of iPhones and may well test the resolve of the average Russian if they can't buy the latest phone.
"We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence," Apple said in a statement.
"We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region."
Apple Pay and other services have been limited, the company said. The Russian state media, RT News and Sputnik News, are no longer available for download from the Apple Store outside Russia.
Alphabet Inc's Google says it has removed Russian state-funded publishers such as RT from its news-related features, including the Google News search tool, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and various sanctions against Russia.
Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, said in a blog post that "in this extraordinary crisis we are taking extraordinary measures to stop the spread of misinformation and disrupt disinformation campaigns online."
Google already had restricted news companies funded by the Russian government from advertising tools and some features on YouTube
And in a move that may hurt oligarchs but perhaps not your average Russian, British luxury carmakers Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Aston Martin have stopped vehicle shipments to Russia, as sanctions over the war in Ukraine had created growing trading obstacles for the car industry.
"The current global context also presents us with trading challenges so we are pausing the delivery of vehicles into the Russian market and continually monitoring the situation on behalf of our global customer base," JLR, a unit of India's Tata Motors, said in a statement.
10:10am - The United Nations has launched an appeal for US$1.7 billion to help Ukrainians affected by the Russian invasion.
The UN estimates around 12 million people in Ukraine will need humanitarian aid as well as the estimated 677,000 who have fled the country.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said: "Families with small children are hunkered down in basements and subway stations or running for their lives to the terrifying sound of explosions and wailing sirens.
"Casualty numbers are rising fast. This is the darkest hour for the people of Ukraine. We need to ramp up our response now to protect the lives and dignity of ordinary Ukrainians. We must respond with compassion and solidarity."
09:50am - The UK has imposed sanctions against Belarusian individuals and organisations in response to the role the country is playing in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A statement on the UK.Gov website says the sanctioned individuals will not be able to travel to the UK and will have any assets there frozen.
Those sanctioned include the Belarus Chief of the General Staff and First Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Victor Gulevich.
UK foriegn secretary Lizz Truss announced the sanctions on Wednesday NZ time saying the "Lukashenko regime actively aids and abets Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and will be made to feel the economic consequences for its support for Putin."
09:45am - Russia warned Kyiv residents to flee their homes on Tuesday (local time) and rained rockets on the city of Kharkiv as Russian commanders intensified their bombardment of Ukrainian urban areas in a shift of tactics after their six-day assault stalled.
A US official said a miles-long armoured column bearing down on the capital Kyiv had not made any advances in the past 24 hours, frozen in place by logistics problems, short on fuel and food, and perhaps pausing to reassess tactics.
Russia's defence ministry said its forces would strike targets in Kyiv used by Ukraine's security service and also communications sites. It warned residents near such sites to leave their homes, while giving no information about where in the city of three million people those targets were located.
Speaking in a heavily guarded government compound in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia must "first stop bombing people" before peace talks could make any headway.
In a joint interview with Reuters and CNN, Zelenskiy also urged NATO members to impose a no-fly zone to stop Russia's airforce, something the military alliance has ruled out.
As Zelenskiy, unshaven and wearing simple khaki clothes, spoke, news came that a Russian missile had struck a TV tower near the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial site in Kyiv, killing at least five people.
Reuters
09:30am - Ukrainian journalist Illia Ponomarenko from the Kyiv Independent, who is in the warzone, has posted a video of what he says is a Russian Pantsir S1 missile system being destroyed by Ukrainian forces.
His caption perfectly highlights the feeling towards the invading army.
09:20am - Reuters is reporting the UK has introduced new sanctions against Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine. The ban includes Russian ships entering British waters and more financial measures.
09:10am - Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing more war crimes after Freedom Square and residential districts of Kharkiv were hit by missiles, killing around 18 civilians.
Kuleba posted a video of the attack to Twitter.
09:00am - The International Court of Justice will hold hearings into the war in Ukraine, This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin has been accused of war crimes for the killing of civilians in the conflict.
