Ukraine sets ceasefire goal for Russia talks as US says Putin not ready to end war

Survivors have told harrowing tales of people dying from lack of medical treatment, bodies being buried wherever space could be found, and women giving birth in basements

A Ukrainian special police officer walks next to a destroyed building as he patrols during night curfew in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, March 27, 2022. Picture: AP Photo/Felipe Dana

Ukraine said it was hoping that the first face-to-face peace talks with Russia in over two weeks, set for Tuesday, could lead to a ceasefire, but a US official said President Vladimir Putin did not appear ready to make compromises to end the war.

The more than month-long invasion, the biggest of a Western nation since World War Two, has seen over 3.8 million people flee abroad, left thousands dead or injured, and brought the isolation of Russia's economy.