Russia-Ukraine crisis live updates | UN chief Guterres wants Ukraine humanitarian cease-fire

Here are the latest developments from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict

A senior Ukrainian official says at least 5,000 people have been buried in the besieged southern city of Mariupol since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled a budget proposal with a f $6.9 billion infusion of funding for Ukraine and NATO, with another $1 billion allocated to Washington’s efforts to counter Moscow’s influence.

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators will meet on Tuesday for their first face-to-face talks in weeks. The discussions come after President Volodymyr Zelensky says Kyiv’s negotiators are studying a Russian demand for Ukrainian neutrality.

The conflict began escalating on February 21, 2022, after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and deployed troops in a peacekeeping role.

Here are the latest updates:

The United Nations chief has launched an initiative to immediately explore possible arrangements for “a humanitarian cease-fire in Ukraine” in order to allow the delivery of desperately needed aid and pave the way for serious political negotiations to end the month-long war.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday he asked Undersecretary-General Martin Griffiths, the head of the U.N.’s worldwide humanitarian operations, to explore the possibility of a cease-fire with Russia and Ukraine. He said Griffiths has already made some contacts.