Image source, EPA

Allies of Ukraine need to step up their financial support to the country, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said.

In a speech to the Brussels Economic Forum, Yellen said in the short term Ukraine needed money to pay soldiers, employees and pensioners, as well as operate an economy that meets its citizens' basic needs, Reuters reported.

Soon Ukraine would need to repair critical utilities and services, and would eventually need "massive support" on the scale of the post-World War 2 Marshall Plan - which saw the US give $13bn to western European recovery programmes.

The US Senate has moved closer to passing a $40bn spending package of military and humanitarian aid.

She also suggested the EU could combine import tariffs on Russian oil with the phased embargo it is trying to put in place to shrink Russia's energy revenues.

The tariff concept will be presented at a G7 finance leaders meeting this week, Reuters reports.

The US State Department has announced a new programme to capture and analyse evidence of Russian-perpetrated war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine.

The Conflict Observatory aims to document, verify and disseminate open-source evidence of the actions of Russian forces during the invasion of Ukraine.

Under the programme, the US State Department will gather satellite imagery and information shared via social media as part of a broader effort to hold Russia accountable for any war crimes.

An online platform will publicly share the gathered information to help refute any attempt at disinformation by the Russian government, the State Department said.

Image source, Reuters

If you're just joining us, here's a recap of the main developments today:

• Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have been halted - with both sides blaming the other for the stalled negotiations
• Ukraine said Russia was refusing to compromise, while Moscow said it was Kyiv who had withdrawn from the talks
• A convoy of buses carrying Ukrainian soldiers evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol has reportedly arrived at a former penal colony in the Russian-controlled town of Olenivka, near Donetsk
• It follows the evacuation of more than 260 fighters - at least 50 of them badly wounded - who were taken from Azovstal to Russian-controlled territory late on Monday
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to say whether the troops would be treated as prisoners of war or as war criminals, adding their treatment would be "in line with the relevant international laws"
• Ukraine's state emergency service has said eight people died and 12 more were injured in a strike in a village near Chernihiv in northern Ukraine
• And in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region Russian attacks killed seven civilians and wounded six, the regional governor said
• France's President Emmanuel Macron promised his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that French arms deliveries to Ukraine would intensify in the coming days
• Zelensky, a former actor and comedian, also addressed the Cannes Film Festival on its opening night, telling attendees in a video address: "In the end, hatred will disappear and dictators will die."

Image source, Reuters

As we said earlier, a convoy of at least seven buses carrying Ukrainian soldiers evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol reportedly arrived today at a former penal colony in the Russian-controlled town of Olenivka, near Donetsk.

It comes after around 50 severely injured servicemen were evacuated to a Russian-controlled hospital last night, while more than 200 others were taken to Olenivka before today's evacuation.

Mariupol, in south-east Ukraine, has been encircled since the start of March and is now mostly under the control of Kremlin forces.

Full control of Mariupol would give Russia a land bridge to Crimea and full control of the Sea of Azov, cutting off Ukraine's maritime trade.

However, the process of capturing the southern port city has been slow and bloody.

Here's a detailed look at what has taken place in Mariupol.

At least seven civilians were killed and six wounded in Ukraine's Donetsk region by Russian attacks on Tuesday, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko has said.

In a post on the Telegram social media platform, he said two people had died in Bakhmutske, two in Bakhmut, one in Avdiivka, one in Drobysheve and one in Soledar.

He added that the number of casualties in Mariupol and Volnovakha remains unknown.

The BBC has been unable to independently verify these claims.

Donetsk is part of the eastern Donbas region where Russia is focusing its forces. Much of the Donbas was already controlled by Russian-backed separatists prior to the invasion of Ukraine.

Image source, .

Europe is neglecting Poland and Hungary when it comes to support for the number of Ukrainian refugees the countries are taking in, Polish President Andrzej Duda has said.

Following a meeting with his Hungarian counterpart earlier today, Duda claimed neither country had received enough backing to implement the programmes needed to sufficiently help the millions of people forced out of their homes.

He said he had "no doubt" this attitude "undermines European unity", but promised to continue to do "everything to make guests from Ukraine feel as good as possible in Poland".

The latest UN data shows that 6.2 million people have left Ukraine since Russia invaded:

• Poland has taken in 3,376,992 refugees
• Romania 919,574
• Russia 850,534
• Hungary 610,076
• Moldova 464,294
• Slovakia 424,027
• Belarus 27,308

Rob Cameron
BBC Prague Correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer has reiterated his country - which is not aligned with any military alliance - has no intention of joining Nato.

Speaking after a meeting in Prague with his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala, Mr Nehammer said Austria's history was different to that of Finland and Sweden, and it would retain its military neutrality.

However, he said his country - as a member of the European Union - showed solidarity with Ukraine, allowed arms deliveries to Kyiv and supported sanctions against Russia.

Mr Fiala said his Austrian counterpart had supported the idea of expanding capacity of the Transalpine (TAL) oil pipeline, which supplies refineries in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic from a terminal in the Italian port of Trieste.

Czech officials have said the TAL pipeline could eventually supply sufficient oil - in the event of an EU embargo on Russian imports.

But they say it would take up to three years to expand capacity.

Image source, EPA

Opening accounts in roubles at Russian banks to pay for gas would breach EU sanctions against Russia, the European Commission confirmed in its updated guidance documents.

EU countries had asked the commission for clarity on how to legally continue to buy Russian fuel as Moscow threatened to cut off supplies to those not paying in roubles.

"It goes beyond the indications which we give to the member states of what was allowed under the regime," a European Commission spokesman added at a press briefing.

Companies can keep buying Russian fuel whilst complying with the EU's sanctions against Moscow by paying in the currency agreed in existing contracts (most EU contracts are in euros or dollars) and declaring the transaction complete when that currency is paid in - not once it is converted into roubles.

Image source, Reuters

He's addressed parliaments and legislatures around the world - and now former actor and comedian, and current Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky has taken his message to the Cannes Film Festival.

In a video he told the audience: "In the end, hatred will disappear and dictators will die."

He made reference to the power of cinema during World War 2, including the Charlie Chaplin film The Great Dictator which mocked Adolf Hitler.

"We need a new Chaplin to prove today that cinema is not mute," he said.

His speech received a standing ovation from the audience at the famous festival.

What happens next to the defenders of Azovstal?published at 19:02 British Summer Time 17 May 2022

19:02 BST 17 May 2022

Danny Aeberhard, Europe regional editor, BBC World Service

Image source, Reuters

To get this far has required extraordinarily complex negotiations. But the details of any deal remain under wraps.

Ukraine says its forces will be exchanged for Russian prisoners-of-war, but Moscow has not confirmed this, and it's not clear what assurances it may have given, to Kyiv, the Red Cross or the United Nations.

The Kremlin has so far evaded questions on the prisoners' status or possible transfer.

Some signs will worry Kyiv - a senior Russian MP has accused the Ukrainian soldiers of being - as he puts it - Nazis and war criminals. He's proposed banning their exchange; Russia's Supreme Court will next week hear a prosecutors' request to designate the group many of the fighters belong to - the Azov Regiment - a terrorist organisation.

Ukraine said it had no other option but the current one - to save lives. A military rescue was not on the cards. And the steelworks' defenders couldn't be resupplied with food or ammunition.

With trust in such short supply, there'll be fears though that Moscow may not even abide by any assurances it may have given.

It was one of the reasons why the Ukrainian troops in Azovstal spoke about fighting to the death, rather than surrendering to Russia.

Image source, EPA

As we've been reporting, talks to end the war between Ukraine and Russia have been halted, with both sides blaming each other for the collapse.

Kyiv's lead negotiator in talks with the Russian delegation today said Russia did not appear to understand that the war is "no longer taking place according to its rules, its timetable, or its plans".

Moscow's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said Ukraine had "practically withdrawn from the negotiating process", the Interfax news agency said.

Discussions between Russia and Ukraine have been held regularly - both in person and via video call - since the war began, but have so far failed to yield any breakthroughs.

Both sides have previously insisted they are still open to a negotiated end to the fighting.

"From our side, not all the diplomatic bridges have been burnt," Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky told the BBC's Frank Gardner earlier this month.

But Zelensky has insisted Russian forces must at least "return to where they were on 23 February" - the day before Russia invaded Ukraine - for any peace deal to be struck.

Vladimir Medinsky, whom Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed as his chief Ukraine negotiator in February, told the New York Times, external, in an interview published today, that Moscow remained interested in a peace deal with Ukraine that would make it a “neutral and peaceful country, friendly to its neighbours".

Image source, Getty Images

French President Emmanuel Macron has promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that French arms deliveries to Ukraine will intensify in coming days and said his country was ready to respond to additional demands for help, the Elysee says.

Zelensky says he enjoyed a "long and meaningful" phone call with his French counterpart this afternoon.

Zelensky tweeted , externalthat he had also spoken to Macron about Ukraine's application to join the European Union.

During the phone call, Macron said the application would be examined by EU members at a summit in June and repeated an idea about creating a new "political community" outside the EU to make it easier to integrate Ukraine.

Having long opposed Ukraine becoming an EU member, Russia briefly agreed to the prospect during a round of peace talks.

However, this support was later revoked, with officials blaming comments made by top EU diplomat Josep Borrell that the war between the two nations "will be won on the battlefield".

Image source, Reuters

As we've been reporting, more Ukrainian soldiers have today been evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, as a convoy of at least seven buses was spotted leaving the city earlier.

That convoy has now arrived at a former penal colony in the Russian-controlled town of Olenivka near Donetsk, according to a witness who spoke to the Reuters news agency.

Neither Ukraine or Russia has officially confirmed the arrivals.

Earlier, the Russian TASS news agency said the Russian Investigative Committee planned to question the soldiers - some of them members of the Azov Battalion - as part of an investigation into what Moscow calls "Ukrainian regime crimes".

Azovstal stand-off may have altered the course of warpublished at 17:41 British Summer Time 17 May 2022

17:41 BST 17 May 2022

Paul Adams
BBC Diplomatic correspondent

Image source, Reuters

This moment was always going to come.

Before the war even began, the Ukrainian military decided to concentrate its effort and resources on defending the capital, Kyiv.

Faced with a Russian assault from several directions, it was simply not possible to defend everywhere.

The troops in Mariupol were told to hold the Russians off for as long as they could. But at no point did the government in Kyiv think it was feasible to stop Mariupol being taken.

Sitting on the Sea of Azov, between the Russian-held Crimean peninsula and Russian-backed separatist areas in the Donbas, Mariupol was a key objective for Moscow.

But as with almost everything in this chronically-inept invasion, its capture took much longer than anyone expected.

The city’s defence, and especially the protracted endgame in the post-apocalyptic surroundings of the Azovstal steel works, took Moscow – and the world – by surprise.

And coupled with other recent Russian setbacks, it may have helped to alter the course of the war.

Russian forces were tied down around Mariupol for weeks, preventing them from turning their attention to the encirclement of Ukrainian forces to the north, in the Donbas.

Most of the troops committed to capturing Mariupol have now been reassigned, but analysis by the US think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, suggests this large-scale encirclement may by the latest of Vladimir Putin’s war aims to be have been abandoned.

Image source, EPA

Returning now to Sweden and Finland's hopes of joining Nato, the Swedish prime minister has said she is ready for talks with Turkey to resolve any issues.

It comes after Turkey, a Nato member, raised objections to the countries joining the bloc.

Speaking alongside the Finnish president, Sweden's Magdalena Andersson said: "We are seeking contact with Turkey and we are prepared to... travel to Turkey to discuss and straighten out any question marks there may be."

During the news conference the two leaders said they intended to submit their bids to join Nato together on Wednesday at the military alliance's headquarters in Brussels.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the two Nordic nations should not bother sending delegations to convince Turkey of their bids.

He is angered by what he sees as their willingness to host Kurdish militants.

Without the support of all Nato members, Sweden and Finland cannot join the military alliance.

Image source, Reuters

If you are just joining us or in need of a reminder here are some of today's main news stories:

Azovstal fighters

• At least seven buses carrying more Ukrainian fighters have left the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol today, according to the Reuters news agency
• Last night around 50 severely wounded servicemen were evacuated to a hospital in a Russian-controlled town - while more than 200 others have been taken to an area controlled by Russian-backed separatists
• The defenders of Mariupol have been declared as heroes by some in Ukraine, while presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said they had "changed the course of the war"
• The Kremlin has declined to comment on the status of the evacuated troops. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they would be treated "in line with the relevant international laws"
• Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the Russian State Duma, said those evacuated should not be subject to exchange and should instead be brought to justice

Other developments

• Away from Mariupol, Ukraine negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak has admitted peace talks with Russia are on "pause", saying there had been "no significant changes or progress"
• Russian deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudenko said talks are not being held "in any form" between the two sides, according to the Interfax agency
• Ukraine's state emergency service has said eight people died and 12 more were injured in a strike in a village near Chernihiv - the BBC has not been able to independently verified the claim
• Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the West will pay a high price if it imposes an embargo on Russian oil
• The leaders of Finland and Sweden will visit US President Joe Biden on Thursday to discuss their Nato applications

Image source, Reuters

Russia has asked its Supreme Court to designate Ukraine's Azov Regiment as a terrorist organisation.

According to Russia's Interfax news agency, the Justice Ministry in Moscow has said a court case "on recognising the Ukrainian paramilitary nationalist association 'Azov' (other names used: the 'Azov' battalion, 'Azov' regiment) as a terrorist organisation and the ban on its activities on the territory of the Russian Federation is scheduled for trial on 26 May".

It comes as Ukrainian fighters - many of them soldiers of the Azov Regiment - were evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks on Monday night.

Earlier Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on whether the defenders of the steelworks - who are now in Russian custody - would be treated as prisoners of war or as war criminals.

The Azov Regiment was formed in 2014, soon after Moscow annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula, to fight against Russian forces and pro-Russian rebels in the eastern Donbas region.

Some Azov fighters originally had links to nationalist and far-right groups. The regiment was later incorporated into Ukraine's National Guard.

Image source, Getty Images

Russia has announced plans to withdraw from the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS).

It comes more than two months after the inter-governmental political forum - comprised of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Russia - suspended Moscow in response to the war in Ukraine.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, insisted today that Russia had made the decision to leave CBSS "in response to hostile actions" by the group, presumably referring to both the suspension and various sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU.

"The termination of membership in the CBSS will not affect Russia's presence in the region," Lavrov said, before warning that any attempts to "oust our country from the Baltic are doomed to failure". He also accused Nato and EU members of the CBSS of turning the council into "an instrument of anti-Russian policy".

Image source, Reuters

The International Criminal Court has sent a team of 42 investigators, forensic experts and support personnel to Ukraine in the "largest ever single field deployment" by it's prosecutor's office.

In a statement, external, Karim Khan says investigators will collect testimonials of military attacks which may constitute crimes, while forensic experts would work with Ukrainian authorities to map existing action and "strengthen the chain of custody" regarding hard evidence.

"Now more than ever we need to show the law in action," he says. "It is essential that we demonstrate to survivors and the families of victims that international law is relevant to their experience... in order to bring them some measure of solace through the process of justice."

Khan says his team will work with French experts and those sent by other states and thanked the Netherlands government for facilitating the secondment of Dutch national experts to support the mission.

As we're getting those reports of more buses carrying Ukrainian fighters leaving the Mariupol steelworks, Ukraine's deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar has said Kyiv knows how many fighters are still trapped at Azovstal.

But she declined to give any further details because such information is "sensitive".

At a briefing on Tuesday she promised to say more when the "rescue operation is over" and she stressed that this was the only way to save Ukrainian defenders.