LIVE UPDATES: French Foreign Ministry Rejects Reports Claiming Cluster Munition Supplies to Ukraine

"In the current Russophobic atmosphere, the so-called human rights activists only serve the interests of the local establishment. Hence the spread of 'fakes' about the use of cluster munitions by the Russian Armed Forces against the civilian population of Kharkiv and the complete ignorance of the bombing of residential areas of Donetsk by Ukrainian nationalists with the help of Western weapons," the Russian embassy wrote on its Telegram channel.

Media should be professional and refrain from asking questions about the possibility of a nuclear war, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sputnik.

"I believe that nowadays mass media should be professional enough to refrain from asking such questions while interviewees should be wise enough to refrain from answering such questions," Peskov said.

Today marks one year since the Russia-US summit in Geneva. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden met in Geneva on June 16, 2021.

Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. The countries have held several rounds of talks since then but failed to reach any agreement.

"The United States is prolonging the troubles, this difficult period for Ukraine, for the Ukrainian people," Peskov said.

The United States announced it will provide a new $1 billion security aid package to Ukraine that will include guided MLRS munitions, 18 more howitzers, 36,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and two additional Harpoon anti-ship missile systems.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the operation aims to "protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." As of March 25, the Russian Armed Forces completed the main tasks of the first stage, significantly reducing the combat potential of Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.

On February 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics requested help to defend them from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. Russia has said the special operation aims to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine and operations solely target the country's military infrastructure.

Turkey has rejected an offer from NATO to hold trilateral talks with Finland and Sweden, and the meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday did not take place, Finance Times reported, citing sources.

US President Joe Biden is looking at a range of options to get grain out of Ukraine but it will not be easy, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday.

"[The] President's looking at a range of options here to try to see if we can get grain out and into the market," Kirby said during a press conference. "That's tricky business, that's not gonna be easy."

The White House is unable to confirm media reports of two US fighters captured by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said on Wednesday.

"I can't confirm the reports … Just was made aware of them before I came out here," Kirby told a press briefing. "We'll do the best we can to monitor this and see what we can learn about it."

The White House discourages Americans from going to Ukraine and fighting there, he added.

"It is a war zone. It's combat," he said. "Ukraine is not the place for Americans to be traveling."

Canada has sent four M-777 Howitzers from its stock and and is expects to sell more than 100,000 artillery shells to Ukraine, the report added.

Dujarric said the United Nations appreciates Turkey's coordination of contacts and regards the recent comments by its foreign minister, who presented a more detailed plan earlier on Wednesday on ensuring grain and fertilizer are exported, as "positive."

“With respect to, is it inevitable that the Russians will consolidate power in the Donbass … It’s not a done deal. There are no inevitabilities in war. War takes many, many turns, so I wouldn’t say it’s an inevitability, but I would say that the numbers clearly favor the Russians,” Milley said during a press briefing when asked if the consolidation of the Donbas by Russian-backed forces is inevitable.

The package also includes $650 million in Ukraine security assistance initiative funds, including two additional Harpoon coastal defense systems and thousands of secure radio and night vision devices and thermal weapon sites, Austin added.

"We've had a very productive afternoon at the third meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group," Austin said during a press conference alongside US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley.

France fulfills its obligations under the Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions, the spokesman added.