What happened on 3 March 2022 in Ukraine's war?

What did diplomacy look like on 3 March 2022, the eighth day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine? It was a day of contradictory signals: talks under way, a call for a leaders' meeting, and a Russian pledge to continue the war.

A second round of talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 3 March 2022 that a second round of talks between Ukraine and Russia had begun. The same day he called for a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an effort to end the war.

Russia's tone was different. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the war on Ukraine would continue "until the end". He accused Zelenskyy of allowing "a society where Nazism is flourishing". Lavrov also said that Russia was not planning a nuclear war.

A ship sinks off Odesa

The Estonian cargo ship MV Helt sank in the Black Sea near the Port of Odesa after an explosion. According to authorities, all six crew members aboard were rescued. Estonia's Foreign Minister, Eva-Maria Liimets, said an investigation into the incident would take place.

The days before

The diplomatic picture on 3 March 2022 had been shaped by the preceding days. On 1 March, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba asked China to help mediate a ceasefire. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi replied that China was ready to help Russia and Ukraine reach an agreement and mediate a ceasefire. China had also expressed regret over the conflict.

On the same day, the European Parliament formally accepted Ukraine's application for EU membership. Andorra's Prime Minister, Xavier Espot, announced he would take urgent legislation to parliament so that the General Council could approve a framework for economic sanctions on Russia. The law was meant to freeze the bank assets of 700 people and 50 companies that the European Union considered linked to the invasion. It was the first time Andorra had applied sanctions to a foreign country.

Military and security claims also circulated on 1 March. A senior Ukrainian territorial defence official said Belarusian Ground Forces units had entered northern Chernihiv Oblast. The Ukrainian presidential office said there was no evidence of this. Belarus had earlier said it would not send its armed forces to Ukraine. Separately, according to Ukrainian intelligence information, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had foiled an assassination plot against Zelenskyy by killing a group of Chechen paramilitaries known as Kadyrovtsy, who were attempting to enter Kyiv on 26 February.

Inside Russia, opposition leader Alexei Navalny called on 2 March for more anti-war protests in Russia and around the world, as well as protests against Putin.

Why the day matters in retrospect

The events of 3 March 2022 set out the positions of the two sides side by side. Kyiv was negotiating and seeking a direct meeting with Putin, while Moscow's foreign minister was publicly ruling out an early halt to the fighting.