We are considering Russia's demand for Ukraine neutrality, says Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy said his govt is carefully considering a Russian demand of Ukrainian neutrality, a key point of contention as negotiators for both sides prepare for a fresh round of talks

A special unit of the Ukrainian defence forces, fighting the Ukraine war, has claimed that it has managed to destroy the 40-mile convoy of the Russian army heading towards Kyiv, according to media reports.

The drone operators of the 30-strong Ukrainian special forces were drawn from an air reconnaissance unit Aerorozvidka, according to The Guardian.
 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday his government is “carefully” considering a Russian demand of Ukrainian neutrality, a key point of contention as negotiators for both sides prepare for a fresh round of talks aimed at ending the brutal month-long war.
 

Russia's military signalled last week it was shifting focus to concentrate on expanding territory held by separatists in eastern Ukraine, a month after having committed the bulk of its huge invasion force to a failed assault on Kyiv.
 

Ukraine and Russia were preparing for the first face-to-face peace talks in more than two weeks, with Kyiv insisting it would make no concessions on ceding territory as battlefield momentum has shifted in its favour.
 

Ukrainian officials played down the chances of a major breakthrough at the talks, due to be held in Istanbul after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Russia's Vladimir Putin on Sunday.
 

But the fact that they were taking place in person at all - for the first time since an acrimonious meeting between foreign ministers on March 10 - was a sign of shifts behind the scenes as Russia's invasion has become bogged down.
 

On the ground, there was no sign of respite for civilians in besieged cities, especially the devastated port of Mariupol, whose mayor said 160,000 people were still trapped inside and Russia was blocking attempts to evacuate them. 
 

Russia’s siege of Mariupol has killed almost 5,000 people, including 200 children, as of Sunday, its mayor said, and roughly a third of the pre-war population remains in the city.
 

The Kremlin, for its part, said it was alarmed by comments by US President Joe Biden, who said during a speech on Saturday that Putin must not remain in power.

Ukrainian forces retake control of town of Irpin

The mayor of Irpin, near Kyiv, said on Monday Ukrainian forces had seized back full control of the town which has been one of the main hotspots of fighting with Russian troops near the capital. “We have good news today - Irpin has been liberated,” Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn said in a video post on Telegram. “We understand that there will be more attacks on our town and we will defend it courageously.”
 

The Kremlin, which regularly denounces the West over Ukraine in strong terms, has so far given only a measured response to Biden's surprise call at the weekend for an end to Putin's 22-year rule, perhaps to avoid drawing attention.
 

“For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden ad-libbed on Saturday at the end of a speech to a crowd in Warsaw. Washington and NATO say removing Putin is not US or alliance policy, and on Sunday Biden said he was not calling for regime change.
 

Asked on Monday about Biden's comment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “This is a statement that is certainly alarming.”
 

“We will continue to track the statements of the USpresident in the most attentive way,” Peskov told reporters. Earlier Peskov had said it was up to the Russian people to pick their leader.
 

Russia has meanwhile kept up pressure in the southeast near separatist areas, including its devastating siege of Mariupol, razed while tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped inside.
 

“The situation in the city remains difficult. People are beyond the line of humanitarian catastrophe,” Boichenko said on national television. “We need to completely evacuate Mariupol.” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said there were no plans to open corridors to evacuate civilians from besieged cities on Monday, because of intelligence reports of possible Russian “provocations” along the routes.
 

Elsewhere, Russia's armoured columns are bogged down, with trouble resupplying and making little or no progress.
 

Britain's defence ministry said there had been no major change in Russia's positions in the past 24 hours, with most Russian gains near Mariupol and heavy fighting underway there.
 

“As of today, the enemy is regrouping its forces, but they cannot advance anywhere in Ukraine,” Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said on Monday.

Draghi tells Zelenskyy he has Italy's backing, Rome will work for end of war

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Monday discussed the latest developments of the war in Ukraine with its president Zelenskiy and reiterated Rome's support for the Ukrainian authorities and people, Draghi's office said. 
 

Draghi expressed Italy's “full willingness to contribute to international action to end the war and promote a lasting solution to the crisis in Ukraine”.

Carlsberg, Heineken to exit Russia as brewers pull back

Carlsberg, the largest brewer in Russia, and rival Heineken NV plan to sell their local businesses and exit the country as brewers pull back from Russia. The Dutch brewer said Monday it doesn’t expect any profit from the sale. Carlsberg only hours later said it had taken “the difficult and immediate decision” to do the same and leave Russia, where it makes 13 per cent of its revenue.

The shares surged as much as 8.3 per cent. Brewers are the latest industry to abandon Russia, following in the footsteps of oil companies and cigarette makers.            
 
Abu Dhabi fund Mubadala pauses Russian investments

Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co. will avoid investing in Russia for now, a sign that the war in Ukraine is complicating ties between Moscow and the UAE.

“Obviously, in this environment, we have to pause investment in this market in Russia,” Mubadala Investment Chief Executive Officer Khaldoon Al Mubarak told an investment conference in Dubai.  “Pause and wait to see how the situation settles.” Mubadala is the first sovereign wealth fund from the Middle East to offer public comments on the war.