Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, says he is willing to consider a commitment by Ukraine not to pursue Nato membership in exchange for a cease-fire, the departure of Russian soldiers, and a guarantee of Ukraine's security.

"It's a win-win situation for everyone: for the West, which is unsure what to do with us in terms of Nato, for Ukraine, which wants security guarantees, and for Russia, which opposes further Nato expansion," Mr. Zelensky said late Monday in an interview with Ukrainian television networks.

Additionally, he reiterated his request for direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr. Zelensky stated that unless he talks with Mr. Putin, he will be unable to comprehend Russia's desire to end the war.

Mr. Zelensky stated that Kyiv is prepared to debate the status of Crimea and the eastern Donbas region, which are seized by Russian-backed separatists, following a cease-fire and moves toward providing security guarantees.

As Russia's war in Ukraine approaches its 27th day, there are no signs of an end. The invasion has wreaked havoc on citizens, taking a severe toll.

According to the UN, around 3.4 million people have fled Ukraine.

The Ukrainian army announced Monday that it had driven Russian troops out of Makariv, a strategically vital Kyiv suburb, following a brutal fight. According to the Defense Ministry, this obviates the possibility of Russian soldiers encircling the capital from the northwest.

On Monday, Russian forces blasted a humanitarian corridor, injuring four children among the civilians evacuated, Mr. Zelensky said in his nighttime video message to the nation.

It’s a compromise for everyone: for the West, which doesn’t know what to do with us with regard to Nato, for Ukraine, which wants security guarantees, and for Russia, which doesn’t want further Nato expansion.

He stated that the shelling occurred in the Zaporizhzhia district, the first stop for refugees leaving Mariupol.

According to the Ukrainian administration, approximately 3,000 residents of Mariupol were evacuated on Monday.

Mr. Zelensky stated that he met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and French President Macron to coordinate their stances ahead of Thursday's Western leader's meeting.

"Believe me, our position will be expressed and expressed strongly," Mr. Zelenskyy continued.

The war for Ukraine's strategically located port of Mariupol rages on Elsewhere. On Monday, Ukraine rejected a Russian offer to evacuate its beleaguered city's military, and Russian airstrikes continued to target it and other Ukrainian cities.

Mr. Zelensky stated that approximately 400 citizens took refuge in an art school in the Sea of Azov port city when a Russian bomb-damaged it.

The strategic port city has witnessed some of the most intense fightings since Russia's invasion. Russian and Ukrainian military is engaged in a block-by-block battle to control the city, which has lost at least 2,300 people, many of whom are buried in mass graves.

According to the Defence Ministry, Ukrainian forces damaged a Russian patrol boat and electronic warfare installation.

Ukrainian leaders rejected a Russian offer to provide safe passage for its troops out of the beleaguered city, thereby ceding Mariupol to Russia and consolidating Russian forces in southern and eastern Ukraine along the Sea of Azov.

Mr. Zelensky said in a video message early Monday that it was unclear how many people were killed in the Russian bombing of the art school.

That attack happened days after a bomb exploded in a Mariupol theatre on Wednesday, killing over 1,000 people. The exact number of victims murdered in that attack was unknown.

"Nearly 90% (of the city) has been destroyed," Maria Fiodorova, 77, of Mariupol said Monday as she crossed the border into Poland's Medyka. "There are no longer any structures there."

According to the Ukrainian administration, approximately 3,000 residents of Mariupol were evacuated on Monday.

Mr. Zelensky previously praised protestors in the seized city of Kherson for their heroism in confronting Russian forces who deployed stun grenades and automatic weapons to disperse a demonstration.

Mr. Zelensky stated that the battle has elevated ordinary Ukrainians to the status of heroes, and "the adversary does not believe it is all real."

Mr. Zelensky stated in his nighttime video message to the nation that Russian soldiers shelled a humanitarian corridor on Monday, injuring four children among the civilians evacuated.

He stated that the shelling occurred in the Zaporizhzhia district, the first stop for refugees leaving Mariupol.

Meanwhile, Russia's military said it would continue to use advanced hypersonic Kinzhal missiles to strike strategic targets in Ukraine.

According to emergency officials, a Russian bombardment near the capital's city center on Sunday killed eight people.

The attack damaged a neighboring high-rise and destroyed a shopping complex, which Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said was targeted because it was used to store missiles. Independent verification of the claim was not possible.

According to Ukraine's prosecutor general, a Russian shell struck a chemical facility outside Sumy, triggering a leak in a 50-ton ammonia tank that required hours to contain.

Russia's defense spokeswoman also stated that a cruise missile fired overnight struck a Ukrainian military training center in the Rivne region, killing 80 foreign and Ukrainian service members.

Ukraine's nuclear regulatory body announced Monday that radiation sensors surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear power plant — the site of the world's worst meltdown in 1986 — have ceased to operate.