KYIV/LVIV Ukraine (Reuters) – Japan and Australia imposed new sanctions against Russia on Friday as punishment for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The West claims that the attack was thwarted by strong resistance, but it continues to cause serious civilian casualties.

Ukraine’s capital Kyiv reports “chaotic Russian shelling” while Mariupol rescuers dig survivors out of the debris of the bombed buildings. On Thursday, officials from both countries met for peace negotiations but they maintained their differences.

Sources in Ukraine and Western countries said that Russia’s invasion has been slow since it invaded the country on February 24. It further defied Moscow’s expectation of swift victories and the overthrow of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no signs of recanting despite the West’s punitive sanctions and battleground defeats.

The Russian government claims that it will rely on China to protect its economy.

According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the United States is worried that Beijing may “directly assist Russia with military equipment for use in Ukraine”, after it announced this week $800 million in military aid to Kyiv.

According to Blinken, the President Joe Biden who called Putin a murderous dictator will inform China’s President Xi Jinping Friday in a telephone call that Beijing “will take full responsibility for all actions taken to support Russia’s aggression.”

According to the White House, they will speak together at 9 AM Eastern Time (1300 GMT).

China refused to call Russia’s actions in Ukraine an invasion or condemn them. China says that it recognizes Ukraine’s sovereignty, but Russia should be acknowledged for legitimate security concerns.

According to a Chinese statement, a Chinese diplomat met with Russia’s ambassador to China last week in order to share views about counter-terrorism cooperation and security cooperation.

SIDES APART

Tokyo and Canberra announced separate sanctions for Russian persons and organizations. These included the exporter of state-owned weapons, finance ministry and central bank.

With Ukrainian officials reporting Russian attack on schools, hospitals, and cultural institutions, the war is now a grueling series of city sieges.

According to the United Nations Human Rights Office in Geneva, there have been 2,032 civilian deaths in Ukraine so far – 780 people were killed and 1,252 others injured.

The United Nations estimates that 3.2 Million civilians fled to neighboring countries.

On Thursday, the fourth consecutive day of talks among Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were held via videolink. The Kremlin however stated that an agreement was still not reached.

Kyiv and Western allies claim that Russia initiated the war to subjugate Russia’s neighbor Putin considers an artificial country. Moscow claims it’s conducting a special operation to disarm Ukraine.

DIGGING TO SURVIVORS

Mariupol is a port in the south. Rescuers found survivors among the rubble from a theatre which was hit Wednesday by air strikes. Russia has denied attacking the theatre.

Mariupol was the most devastating humanitarian disaster of war. Hundreds of thousands of civilians were trapped underground without food, water, or power. Officials from the city claim they cannot estimate how many people died in the theatre.

“Yesterday’s and today’s shelling has continued, but rubble is still being removed as best as it can and people are being saved. According to a city council statement, information on victims remains unclear.

Maria Zakharova from the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that Russia bombed the theatre.

The northeastern and northwestern suburbs have been severely damaged in Kyiv, but the capital has managed to hold firm, despite being under curfews and subject to nightly rocket attacks.

The building was badly damaged in Kyiv’s Darnytsky neighborhood on Thursday. Residents poured glass out of the windows and a man wept as he looked at a body covered in bloody sheets.

Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said that Russian forces have not made any significant progress around Kyiv over the last 24-48 hours and that they had turned to “chaotic shelling.”

“The Ukrainian Armed forces are trying to stop the enemy from attacking that area,” he stated at a Kyiv Press Briefing.

According to British military intelligence, Russia’s invasion has been largely stopped on all fronts. It suffered heavy losses, and made little progress land or sea.

Viacheslav Chaus (guvernor of the northern region around Chernihiv), said on Thursday that 53 civilians were killed in Chernihiv over the last 24 hours. This number could not independently be verified.

Jimmy Hill from the United States was killed while waiting for bread at a bakery in Chernihiv.

His sister posted on Facebook: “His body found in the street,”