LIVE UPDATES: US Sees No Reason For Concern About Russia Using Tactical Nukes - Top Intel Official

Since March 2, Russia has delivered nearly 19,000 tonnes of humanitarian cargoes to Ukraine, head of the Russian National Defense Control Center, Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev, who also leads Russia's humanitarian response coordination headquarters, said.

"Starting from March 2, 2022, the Russian Federation has already delivered 18,790.1 tonnes of essentials, food, medicines and medical supplies to Ukraine," Col. Gen. Mizintsev said.

The UN Security Council will hold a meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine on May 12, sources in the Security Council told Sputnik.

"It’s confirmed. Thursday morning," a source said, adding that France and Mexico requested the meeting.

Another source said the meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. (2 p.m. GMT).

President Joe Biden’s candidate for US Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, during her confirmation hearing said she does not know when the US embassy will return to Kiev.

Last week, US Charge d'Affaires Kristina Kvien said the Biden administration hopes conditions will permit the embassy, temporarily shut down and moved to Lviv in mid-February, to return to Kiev by end of May.

"I do not know exactly how fast we will be able to do this process, but I know we are trying to do it as fast as possible," Brink said during a hearing at the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in a Sunday phone call of a recent visit to Kiev by US diplomats ahead of the US embassy reopening, according to the State Department.

Brink expressed the hope to start her work, if confirmed, in the Ukrainian capital and noted that Kvien is laying the groundwork to return the embassy.

"We will have to look at the security situation, but I have a great confidence in our security experts, including those on the ground, to give us advice that allows us to continue to advance our strategic interests, which means being present to work with the Ukrainians, work with other embassies, and also coordinate back with Washington from Kiev," she said.

The US-led contact group on Ukraine is likely to meet in May by video, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday.

"[UK] Minister [of Defense Ben] Wallace was at the Ramstein contact group. Now we're calling it the Contact Group, that consultative meeting back in Germany. There will be another one this month, most likely a virtual meeting. The [US] Secretary [of Defense Lloyd Austin] wants to do this monthly. So, the one in May will most likely be virtual," Kirby told a press briefing.

The United States believes that the situation between Ukraine and Russia will be resolved diplomatically but currently sees no Russian interest in peace talks, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday.

"We certainly believe that this will be resolved through a diplomatic process and a diplomatic solution… We don’t see a sign from the Russians that they are open to or eager to engage in those discussions," Psaki said during a press briefing when asked whether the US believes peace talks with a ceasefire in place could be productive.

The United States sees no indication that Russia has used hypersonic weapons in Odessa, a US Defense Department official told reporters on Tuesday.

“No indication that we have seen hypersonics have been used in Odessa,” the official said.

According to Haines, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is developing into a war of attrition, which means that the next few months could see an unpredictable and escalatory trajectory.

Germany will supply Ukraine with modern tanks and howitzers, and in parallel will begin training of the Ukrainian military personnel, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday.

"The next step will be [supply of] highly modern tanks and howitzers, which means that we can use them to defend against drones ... Germany and the Netherlands will be able to supply these howitzers together, because one country cannot supply everything, because Germany has a shortage [of howitzers]. But Germany will provide seven [howitzers], and we will now begin the training [of Ukrainian personnel] that is necessary for this," Baerbock said during a press conference in Kiev.

The military equipment will be delivered before the end of the training of the Ukrainian military, Baerbock added.

Sanctions against Russia cannot be lifted even if they have an impact on Germany, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also said.