Russian negotiator: Ukrainian counterparts 'roll back' on peace deals

A Russian diplomat, who is part of the negotiating team with Ukraine, has accused representatives from Kiev of “rolling back” on peace agreements, TASS news agency reports.

“Ukrainian counterparts come to an agreement, and then roll back,” Leonid Slutsky said Thursday. 

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that his government would not agree on any ceasefire deal allowing Russian forces to remain in Ukrainian territory. “We will not accept a frozen conflict,” he has said. 

In another development on Thursday, the Russian government declared seven employees of the Danish embassy in Moscow "‘persona non grata" in retaliation for a similar move by Copenhagen last month.

Russia’s foreign ministry said Denmark’s openly anti-Russian policy was seriously damaging bilateral relations and warned the European country against assisting Ukraine with military equipment.

Russia: West’s flow of arms to Ukraine impedes ‘quick’ end to war

Moscow says the current flow of arms by the West to Kiev impedes a "quick" end to war in Ukraine.

Denmark’s foreign ministry denounced the move. "It is a completely unjustified and deeply problematic decision, which underlines that Russia no longer wants real dialogue and diplomacy.”

The development comes on the heels of a similar move by Denmark, which expelled 15 employees at the Russian embassy in Copenhagen, in line with steps taken by other European Union countries, after reports of mass graves found in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.

Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod claimed on Thursday that the expelled employees last month were Russian intelligence agents and not diplomats.

Moscow called Denmark's expulsion an “unjustified” move, and denied allegations of killing civilians in Bucha. It said that the accusations were fake products of Ukrainian and Western propaganda aimed at discrediting Russia.

Russia: Troops did not storm Azovstal plant, Putin order still stands

Also on Thursday, the Kremlin has denied that Russian troops had stormed the Azovstal steel plant in Ukraine's southern port city of Mariupol.

Asked if a claim by a senior Ukrainian official that Russian troops had broken into the plant's territory was true, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred reporters to President Vladimir Putin's previous order not to storm it.

On April 21, Putin ordered his defense minister to seal off the vast complex so "a fly can't pass through."

Putin tells Macron West should stop sending arms to Ukraine to end atrocities

Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the West to halt its arms deliveries to Ukraine to help end ongoing atrocities in the former Soviet country.

"You were witnesses, the president gave the order to refrain from an assault. No other orders were announced and the (humanitarian) corridors are working today," Peskov said.

This came after a Ukrainian military commander said earlier on Thursday that Russia has "violated" a promised truce at Mariupol's steelworks, pleading for help for soldiers and the evacuation of civilians.

"The Russians violated the promise of a truce and did not allow the evacuation of civilians who continue to hide from shelling in the basement of the plant," Svyatoslav Palamar claimed in a video posted on Telegram.

Russia announces three-day ceasefire in Ukraine’s Mariupol to allow civilian evacuation

Russia has announced a three-day ceasefire in the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol to allow the evacuation of civilians from a steel plant in the city.

Palamar said Russian soldiers broke into the plant "three days ago" triggering intense clashes, and that "heavy bloody fighting continues."

He called on the "world community" to help evacuate civilians from the plant.

Ukrainian president called on Thursday for a prolonged ceasefire to evacuate civilians, including women and children, from bunkers under the Azovstal steel plant.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk