LIVE UPDATES: One of Key Goals of Russia's Op in Ukraine is to Avert Threat of WW III, Kremlin Says

"I applaud the overwhelming vote today in the General Assembly of the United Nations to kick Russia off the UN Human Rights Council," Biden said on Thursday.

Biden said the vote marks a meaningful step by the international community further demonstrating how President Vladimir Putin has made Russia an "international pariah."

"From my point of view, we must use this transitional period [of 120 days]. If it is faster, it will be good but we and our plants need some time. We need time to find new suppliers," Scholz said on late Thursday after the meeting with heads of regional governments.

"The European Commission will in short time, mid-May present a plan to phase out our dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal," Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference in Sweden, where she is on a working visit.

Restriction of Russia's membership in the UN Human Rights Council is unlawful, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"The Russian side considers the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on April 7 in New York to suspend the membership of the Russian Federation in the UN Human Rights Council as an unlawful and politically motivated step in order to defiantly punish a sovereign UN member state that pursues an independent domestic and foreign policy," the ministry said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, the UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution suspending Russia's work in the UN Human Rights Council.

NATO will for the first time address the impact of China's "influence and coercive policies" on its security, as well as relations with Russia, in its next Strategic Concept, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday.

"Ministers agreed that NATO’s next Strategic Concept must deliver a response on how we relate to Russia in the future. And for the first time, it must also take account of how China’s growing influence and coercive policies affect our security. The Strategic Concept will be finalized for the Madrid Summit in June," Stoltenberg said at a press conference following the meetings of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Brussels.

Foreign ministers of NATO member states convened in the Belgian capital on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

The Strategic Concept is a fundamental document of NATO which outlines key security challenges faced by the alliance and guides its political and military development. The last Strategic Concept was approved in 2010 and has not been revisited since.

The US Senate on Thursday unanimously passed legislation suspending the import of energy products from Russia to the United States amid the ongoing special operation in Ukraine.

The Senate passed a revised version of H.R. 6968, the Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act, in a 100-0 vote. The bill will now be sent back to the House of Representatives for final passage of the revised version.

The legislation prohibits the importation of mineral fuels, oils and distillate products, in addition to directing the US Trade Representative to consider steps to suspend Russia’s participation in the World Trade Organization.

A "diplomatic intervention" in Ukraine conflict is not on the immediate horizon while military activities are ongoing, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said in a congressional testimony on Thursday.

"I think it's an open question right now, how this [conflict in Ukraine] ends. Ideally, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin decides to cease fire, stop his aggression. And there's some sort of diplomatic intervention. But right now, that doesn't look like it's on the immediate horizon," Milley told the US Senate Armed Services Committee.

Milley pointed out that a significant battle soon awaits in the southeast of Ukraine around the Donbass region, where Russia intends to amass forces and continue its special operation.

The UN General Assembly vote on whether to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council represents an attempt by the United States to continue its dominant position, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Gennady Kuzmin said on Thursday.

“Today is an attempt by the US to continue its dominant position,” he told a UNGA session which gathered to decide on the Russian membership in the council.

The deputy prime minister also added that such a procedure would be adopted in the near future.

Minsk has informed Moscow and Kiev of the need to involve it in negotiations on resolving the Ukrainian conflict, in particular by including Belarus at the final meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian sides, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said.

"Ukraine and Russia have been told that Belarus needs to participate in the peace talks," Makei said, as quoted by the official Belta news agency.

Makei stressed that the final meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian sides cannot take place without the participation of Belarus. He also noted that Minsk had repeatedly brought this position to the attention of all sides.

"We believe that it does not matter where the final meeting will ultimately take place. But our strong position is that Belarusian President [Alexander Lukashenko] must participate in these negotiations," the Belarusian foreign minister said.

Makei emphasized that Minsk is interested in peace and stability in the region.

Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may take place when negotiations between the delegations of Moscow and Kiev bear fruit. In turn, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said there can be no negotiations on Ukraine or "separate agreements" without the participation of Minsk. In addition, he stressed that Belarus may be most affected by the Ukrainian conflict.

The United States has denied export privileges to three Russian airlines due to violations of export controls imposed on Russia, the Commerce Department said.

"Today, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod issued orders denying the export privileges of three Russian Airlines – Aeroflot, Azur Air, and UTair – due to ongoing export violations related to comprehensive export controls on Russia imposed by the Commerce Department," the press release said.

The restrictions on export privileges is a reminder to parties in Russia and the rest of the world that US legal authorities are substantial, far-reaching and have a meaningful impact on global commerce by parties found to be in violation of US law, the press release added.

All war crimes should be investigated, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday when commenting on killings of Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine.

"Every report on potential violations of national law should be thoroughly looked into and of course any violation of international law and any war crime is always unacceptable," Stoltenberg said.

Eight Russian citizens were injured in the shelling of the Belgorod region by the Ukrainian military with Tochka-U missiles on 29 March, 21 pieces of equipment were damaged, the Russian Investigative Committee said on Thursday.

"As a result of these illegal actions, eight citizens of the Russian Federation were injured. All of them were promptly taken to medical institutions, where they were provided with qualified assistance. According to experts, each of them suffered serious bodily harm. In addition, 21 pieces of equipment were damaged. As a result, fire and subsequent explosions, a warehouse at the place of temporary deployment of a military unit was destroyed," the statement says.

At present, the site of the incident has been inspected, forensic medical examinations of the wounded have been scheduled. In addition, eyewitnesses have been questioned. Measures are currently being taken to identify those behind the crime.

The Group of Seven says it is time to remove Russia from the UN Human Rights Council as its foreign ministers gathered in Brussels on Thursday to discuss Ukraine.

"We are convinced that now is the time to suspend Russian membership of the Human Rights Council," the ministers said in a joint statement.

They also urged Russia to immediately stop its military operation in Ukraine in compliance with the ruling of the International Court of Justice.

Later on Thursday, the UN General Assembly will vote on suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council. The US and allies initiated the move in connection with alleged atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, which Russia has called a staged provocation. Images purporting to show the bodies of civilians killed in Bucha emerged several days after Russian forces left the area and Ukrainian forces entered following peace talks in Istanbul.

The European Parliament called on Thursday for a total ban on oil, coal, gas and nuclear fuel coming from Russia and the exclusion of Moscow from international organisations.

"In a resolution adopted with 513 votes to 22 and 19 abstentions on Thursday, MEPs call for additional punitive measures, including 'an immediate full embargo on Russian imports of oil, coal, nuclear fuel and gas,'" the parliament said in a statement, while also calling for an EU energy security plan and a strategy to roll back sanctions under certain conditions.

The European lawmakers also called on EU leaders to exclude Russia from G20, Interpol, the World Trade Organisation and other such groups, while also urging effective implementation of current anti-Russian sanctions by the EU and its allies.

"To make the sanctions more effective, the Parliament calls for Russian banks to be excluded from the SWIFT system, for all vessels connected to Russia to be banned from entering EU territorial waters and docking at EU ports, and for road freight transport from and to Russia and Belarus to be prohibited," the statement read, while also demanding the seizure of assets belonging to Russian officials or "oligarchs."

The United States will continue to use sanctions in an effort to push Russia toward diplomacy on Ukraine, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told CNN.

"Our goal is to make sure that we go after the Russian war machine by going after the aerospace industry, that marine industries and other industries that are critical to fighting the war in Ukraine because ultimately, our goal is to stop the invasion in Ukraine and we're going to use sanctions export controls. We're going to use our Justice Department we're going to use the tools of diplomacy to do this holistically, not just the United States, but in collaboration, coordination with our allies and partners around the world," he said on Thursday.

Poland's assistance to Ukrainian refugees will pay off in the long term by Ukrainians ultimately contributing to the country's economic growth, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.

"This group of refugees is a great profit to the Polish economy. We will be able to advance our growth prospects. Economists say this is a potential for economic growth," Morawiecki said at a meeting with Polish regional government officials.

"Ukrainians will work for Poland. It is not that only we help them today, and you need to know it. But today, in initial weeks and months, they need support," he added.

According to the UN Refugee Agency, over 4.2 million people have fled Ukraine since February 24, when Russia started a military operation in response to the call for help from the breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics.

On Wednesday, Putin and Orban discussed the situation in Ukraine, including Moscow-Kiev talks and the Bucha tragedy. Media reported on the same day that the Hungarian leader had invited Putin for peace talks with Ukraine in Hungary with the participation of the Ukrainian and French presidents, as well as the German chancellor.

Ukrainian forces shelled Gorlovka in the Donetsk People's Republicat 10:30 on Thursday by firing 20 rockets using 'Grad' systems, the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination on ceasefire said.

Turkey is encouraging Russia and Ukraine to continue negotiations, Kalin said, noting that the Turkish defence ministry was cooperating with Russian and Ukrainian colleagues to arrange for evacuations from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

A discussion on security guarantees for Ukraine is still at an early stage, but "in principle we [Turkey] look at it favorably because we want to support Ukraine and we want to end this war," Kalin added.

The Russian special operation in Ukraine began on 24 February. The sides held the first round of peace talks in Belarus on 28 February. Another round of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations was held in Istanbul on 29 March.

In the course of the talks, Ukraine said it would be ready to consider military neutrality and abandon the claim to NATO membership if other countries agree to provide it with security guarantees. Turkey is among the countries picked by Ukraine as desirable security guarantors, along with the five UN Security Council permanent members as well as Germany, Canada, Italy, Israel and Poland.

Madrid is not considering the possibility of transferring heavy weapons to Ukraine, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said.

"We are making joint decisions, and this issue is not on the agenda at the moment," Albares told reporters at a NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels, as quoted by the Europa Press news agency.

Spain has already delivered military equipment and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, while also supporting sanctions and providing political support, the minister went on.

"Spain supports all measures necessary for Kiev to establish control over [Ukrainian] territory, and to enable its army to defend the democratically elected government," Albares added.

Madrid has so far provided 4,500 Ukrainian refugees with temporary protection, allowing them to obtain a residence permit with the right to work. However, the total number of Ukrainian refugees who headed to Spain since Russia began its special military operation in Ukraine is unclear. Refugee centers have been opened in Madrid, Barcelona and Alicante.

"Russia will definitely respond, and will do it the way it considers necessary," Peskov told reporters.

On Wednesday, the US Treasury Department announced new sanctions against Russia. Along with Putin's daughters and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's wife and daughter, the list includes top members of the Russian Security Council.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Thursday that he plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the near future.

"In the near future we will meet with the President of Russia. I would like to know what are the problems that we must solve at the level of presidents," Lukashenko said during a meeting of the Belarusian Security Council, as quoted by the Pul Pervogo Telegram channel.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Budapest opposes any sanctions on nuclear energy, which would become a red line for the country, media reported on Thursday.

The minister also expressed his country's opposition to sanctions against Russian oil and gas, Reuters reported.

Earlier in the day, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that EU foreign ministers will discuss the introduction of oil embargo on Russia on 11 April.

The European Union will not impose a full ban on imports of coal from Russia until mid-August, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing an EU source.

According to the source, the decision was made due to a pressure from Germany.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire suggested on Thursday that the European Union need several weeks to discuss ban on Russia's oil supplies to reach a final agreement.

"Stopping oil supplies will be the most painful for Russia. As we, France, said on Monday, we are ready for it ... Then, it is necessary to convince other countries. We cannot do it [stop oil supplies from Russia] by ourselves. It would not make any sense," Le Maire told the France Info radio station.

The minister also proposed that "[the EU] take a few more weeks to come to a decision together to ban Russian oil supplies."

Australia announces new sanctions targeting 67 Russians over Ukraine, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Thursday.

"Today, I am announcing 67 further sanctions of Russian elites and oligarchs, those close to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin who facilitate and support his outrageous actions," Payne said in a doorstep comment ahead of NATO ministerial meeting.

The main fighting in the central part of Mariupol ended, spokesman for the People's Militia of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Eduard Basurin said on Thursday.

"Regarding the situation in Mariupol, the central part of the city, we can say that the main battles are over," Basurin told the Rossiya 24 broadcaster.

The fighting moved to the port of the city and to the territory of the Azovstal plant, the official added.

Vienna has decided to expel four Russian diplomats, the Austrian foreign ministry said on Thursday.

"The Federal Ministry for European and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria announces its decision to revoke the diplomatic status of three staff members of the Russian Embassy in Vienna and one staff member of the Russian Consulate General in Salzburg," the ministry said in a statement on Twitter.

The diplomats are requested to leave the country by 12 April, the ministry added.

The introduction of oil embargo on Russia will be on the agenda of the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 11 April, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday.

"It [oil embargo] is not on the package of the 5th sanctions, which is been discussed today, it is only coal, but it will be discussed on Monday on foreign affairs ministers council, and, sooner or later, I hope sooner it will happen," Borrell told reporters ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.

The Japanese government will not ban Russian coal imports over recent developments in Ukraine, Japanese newspaper The Mainichi reported on Thursday citing informed sources.

According to the newspaper, Japan fears a price hike on this energy resource in case Russian coal is fully eliminated from the international market. Meanwhile, the news outlet noted that the amount of coal purchased by Japan from Russia accounts for 15% of the country's overall coal imports.

On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed the fifth package of sanctions against Russia, consisting of six points, including restrictions on six major banks and transportation limitations. Yet, the EU diplomats failed to agree upon the new sanctions package, including on imposing embargo on Russian coal, with the next session to be conducted later on Thursday.

Ukrainian troops early on Thursday shelled the locality of Donetsky in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), firing five 152-millimeter shells, the LPR representative office in the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the ceasefire regime (JCCC) said in a statement.

"A shelling attack by Ukraine's armed units was registered... from the direction of the settlement of Gorskoye towards the locality of Donetsky using a 152mm artillery gun (5 shells)," the office said.