Talks With Russia Is Difficult And Still Far From Deal, President Zelensky: Sometimes It's Confrontational

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday peace talks with Russia to end a month-long war were difficult and sometimes confrontational, but added "step by step we are moving forward".

In his morning video address, President Zelensky also said 100.000 people live in the besieged city of Mariupol in inhumane conditions, without food, water or medicine.

Although Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have spoken regularly, both sides say any deal is still a long way off.

"We continue to work at different levels to push Russia to move towards peace. Ukrainian representatives are participating in talks that take place almost daily," President Zelensky said.

"It's very difficult, sometimes confrontational. But, step by step we are moving forward."

On that occasion, he also accused Russian troops who attacked Mariupol, of thwarting efforts to evacuate civilians from the city.

"As of today, there are about 100.000 people in the city in inhumane conditions, completely blockaded, without food, without water, without medicine, subject to constant shooting, constant bombing," he said concernedly.

As previously reported, intense Russian airstrikes have turned besieged Mariupol into "dead ashes", the city council said on Tuesday, as the United States and Europe plan more sanctions to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

Street fighting and bombing raged in Mariupol, Ukrainian officials said, a day after rejecting an ultimatum from Russia to surrender. Hundreds of thousands are believed to be trapped inside the building, without access to food, water, electricity, or heat.

Russian troops and Russian-backed separatist units have controlled about half of the port city, which normally hosts about 400.000 people, Russia's RIA news agency said, citing a separatist leader.

Street fighting broke out in the city, and both Ukrainian civilians and soldiers were attacked by the Russians, said regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.

"There is nothing left there," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video speech before the Italian Parliament.

Meanwhile, Mariupol Deputy Mayor Sergei Orlov told CNN the city is under a complete blockade and is not receiving any humanitarian aid.

"The city is bombed continuously, from 50 bombs to 100 bombs dropped by Russian planes every day. Many deaths, many cries, many terrible war crimes," Orlov said.

To note, the city is located on the Sea of Azov and its control will allow Russia, to connect areas in the east controlled by pro-Russian separatists, with the Crimean peninsula which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.