Ukraine agrees to hold talks with Russia; UN emergency session today

Ukraine agreed to hold talks with Russia at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border near the Pripyat river, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said through social media.

The agreement to hold the talks was reached during a phone call on Sunday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Lukashenko has taken responsibility for ensuring that all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarusian territory remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation's travel, talks and return," said the Ukrainian Presidential office.

Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin dramatically escalated East-West tensions by ordering Russian nuclear forces put on high alert Sunday, while Ukraine's embattled leader agreed to talks with Moscow as Putin's troops and tanks drove deeper into the country, closing in around the capital.

Citing aggressive statements by NATO and tough financial sanctions, Putin issued a directive to increase the readiness of Russia's nuclear weapons, raising fears that the invasion of Ukraine could lead to nuclear war, whether by design or mistake.

The Russian leader is potentially putting in play forces that, if there's a miscalculation, could make things much, much more dangerous, said a senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss rapidly unfolding military operations.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) has adopted Resolution 2623 that calls for an "emergency special session" of the UN General Assembly to consider and recommend collective action on the Ukraine crisis.

It is the first such a resolution that the council has adopted in four decades, according to the Security Council Report on Sunday.

The UNSC on Friday failed to adopt a draft resolution on Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported.

(with agency inputs)