Russia-Ukraine live updates: Blinken recounts 'frank ...

The invasion of Ukraine has isolated Russia from all but a handful of allies. Russian President Vladimir Putin's "special military ... ABCNewsVideoLiveShowsGunsinAmericaJan.6InterestSuccessfullyAddedWe'llnotifyyouherewithnewsaboutTurnondesktopnotificationsforbreakingstoriesaboutinterest?OffOn4:15WillRussiabecomeapariahstate?TheinvasionofUkrainehasisolatedRussiafromallbutahandfulofallies.AFPviaGettyImagesRussianPresidentVladimirPutin's"specialmilitaryoperation"intoneighboringUkrainebeganonFeb.24,withRussianforcesinvadingfromBelarus,tothenorth,andRussia,totheeast.Ukrainiantroopshaveoffered"stiffresistance,"accordingtoU.S.officials.TheRussianmilitaryhassincelaunchedafull-scalegroundoffensiveineasternUkraine'sdisputedDonbasregion,capturingthestrategicportcityofMariupolandsecuringacoastalcorridortotheMoscow-annexedCrimeanPeninsula.Forpreviouscoverage,pleaseclickhere.Latestheadlines:BlinkenspeakswithLavrov,pusheshimtoaccept'substantialproposal'fromUSUSambassadortoUkrainespeakswithABCNewsatOdesaportUkrainesays1stgrainshipsshouldleavethisweekendBlinkenandLavrovtodiscussUSproposaltofreeGrinerandWhelanHere'showthenewsisdeveloping.AlltimesEastern.Jul30,5:56PMEDTZelenskyyannouncesmandatoryevacuationofDonetskregionLinkSharetoFacebookSharetoTwitterEmailthisarticleUkrainianPresidentVolodymyrZelenskyyannouncedamandatoryevacuationoftheDonetskregionineasternUkraineasfightingintensifies."Thesooneritisdone,themorepeopleleaveDonetskregionnow,thefewerpeopletheRussianarmywillhavetimetokill,"ZelenskyysaidinanationaladdressonSaturday.ThepresidentadditionallyurgedthoseinthebroaderDonbasregion"intheareasofthefiercestfighting"toleave.Governmentalofficialssaidtheyhaveactivatedacivildefenselawthatallowsforamandatoryevacuationtobedeclared.Peoplecanstillrefusetoleave,providedtheysignadisclaimersayingtheyunderstandalltherisks,officialssaid.Officialsareurgingpeopletoleaveaheadofwinter,astheregion'snaturalgassupplieshavebeendestroyedandtherewillbenoheat.Therearearound200,000peoplestillinDonbaswhoneedtoleave,accordingtoUkrainian'sdeputyprimeminister,IrynaVereshchuk.-ABCNews'PatrickReevellJul29,4:42PMEDTPentagonofficial:NumberofRussiancasualties'verysignificant'LinkSharetoFacebookSharetoTwitterEmailthisarticleThenumberofRussiancasualtiesfromthewaris"verysignificant,"aseniorPentagonofficialsaidFriday."Andwhenyoulookatthenumbersofpeoplethattheyhavelost,[it's]impossibletobelievethatthey'renothavingtofigureoutwaystoreplacethemiftheywanttocontinuetogotoe-to-toewithUkrainians,"theofficialsaid.Fivemonthsintothewar,aseniormilitaryofficialcalledtheinvasion"agiganticstrategicfailureonthesideoftheRussians.""Theyhadtorepositiontheirpeopleoutfromthenortharoundtotheeasttotryandmakesomegains.Andthosegains,asyou'veseen,havebeenrelativelysmall--atagiganticcost.SoI'dreallyhesitatetogiveyouanideahowlongthislasts,"theofficialsaid."Itcertainlylookslikeit'sgoingtolastas[longas]theUkrainiansareabletogotoe-to-toe."MauricioLima/TheNewYorkTimesviaReduxUkrainiansoldiersmovetheirtankintopositiontofiretowardsRussianpositionsintheKharkivregionofUkraine,July29,2022.EvgeniyMaloletka/APAwheatfieldburnsafterRussianshellinginafewkilometersfromUkrainian-RussianborderintheKharkivregion,Ukraine,onJuly29,2022.-ABCNews’LuisMartinezJul29,2:53PMEDTBlinkenspeakswithLavrov,pusheshimtoaccept'substantialproposal'fromUSLinkSharetoFacebookSharetoTwitterEmailthisarticleSecretaryofStateAntonyBlinkensaidhespokewithRussianForeignMinisterSergeyLavrovonFriday.BlinkensaidhepushedLavrovtoacceptthe"substantialproposal"theU.S.putforthtofreedetainedAmericansBrittneyGrinerandPaulWhelan.DimitarDilkoff/AFPviaGetty,FILE|KirillKudryavtsev/AFPviaGettyImagesPaulWhelanisescortedforahearingtodecidetoextendhisdetentionattheLefortovoCourtinMoscow,Oct.24,2019;BrittneyGrinerarrivestoahearingattheKhimkiCourt,outsideMoscowonJuly1,2022.Thismarkedthefirsttimethetwoleadersspokesincethewarbegan.Blinkencalledit"afrankanddirectconversation.""IpressedtheKremlintoacceptthesubstantialproposalthatweputforthonthereleaseofPaulWhelanandBrittneyGriner,”hesaid."I'mnotgoingtocharacterizehisresponsesandIcan'tgiveyouanassessmentofwhetherIthinkthingsaremoreorlesslikely."TomBrenner/PoolviaAPSecretaryofStateAntonyBlinkenspeaksduringameetingattheStateDepartmentinWashington,D.C.,onJuly29,2022.OnRussia'sstatedplanstoannexpartsofUkraine,BlinkensaidhetoldLavrovthat"thoseplanswillneverbeaccepted.Theworldwillnotrecognizeannexations.WewillposeadditionalsignificantcostsonRussiaifitmovesforwardwithitsplans."BlinkendidreaffirmthattheircalldidnotcoverbrokeringpeaceinUkraine."Unfortunately,tragically,we'veseennoopening--willingnessonthepartofRussiatoengagemeaningfullyonendingtheaggression,"Blinkenlamented."Atthesametime,I'vealsosaidthatifthereareissueswherewecouldmakeadifferenceinseniorRussianshearingdirectlyfrommeorfromcolleagues,wewouldofcourse,pursuethat."BulentKilic/AFPviaGettyImagesSmokerisesfromtherubbleofabuildingdestroyedbyaRussianrocket,inKramatorsk,amidtheRussianinvasionofUkraine,onJuly29,2022.TheRussianForeignMinistryconfirmedtheconversationandsaiditwasinitiatedbytheU.S.TheRussianForeignMinistrysaid,"RegardingthepossibleexchangeofimprisonedcitizensofRussiaandtheUnitedStates,theRussiansideisurgedtoreturntothemodeofprofessional,withoutspeculativeinformationstuffing,dialogueinthemodeof'quietdiplomacy.'"WhiteHousespokespersonJohnKirbysaidFriday,"Weverymuchtriedtokeepdetailsofthenegotiationsofthisnatureasprivateaspossiblesothatwecanallowasmuchspacefornegotiatorstocometoasuccessfulconclusion.WefeltthatinthecontextofwhatwashappeninginbothBrittneyGrinerandPaulWhelan'scases,aswellaswhatwasnothappening,thatitwasimportanttolayoutpubliclythattherewas,infact,aseriousoffermadebytheAmericansidethathasnotbeenactedon."-ABCNews’ShannonCrawfordandMollyNagleJul29,2:12PMEDTWhiteHousedoesn'tconsiderfightingineasternUkraine'stalled'LinkSharetoFacebookSharetoTwitterEmailthisarticleTheU.S.doesn’tconsiderfightingineasternUkraine"stalled,"WhiteHousespokesmanJohnKirbysaidFriday."Idon'tbelieveweconsiderwhat'sgoingonintheDonbasisstalled,"hesaidinresponsetoareporter’squestion.“There'salotofactivitystillgoingonintheDonbas."Hedidnotethatoverthelast"48to72hours,therehasnotbeenthatmanysignificantchangesinthebattlelines"intheeastandthesouth."ItcanbetruethatinsomeplacesineasternandsouthernUkraine,theRussiansappeartobetakingaknee,refitting,refreshing,movingtroopsaround,.Andinotherplacesintheeastandinthesouth,there'sactualbattlegoingonbetweenRussianandUkrainianforces,"Kirbysaid."Thereareunitsthatareinactualcontactwithoneanother,andtherearedayswheretheRussiansmakeamileortwo,andthentherearedayswhentheUkrainianspushthembackamileortwo.Andthere'sdayswhentheUkrainiansaregoingonthecounter-offensiveonatacticallevelandthentheywillstoptoreconsidertheirnextmove,"hesaid.-ABCNews’BenGittlesonLoadMoreLinkSharetoFacebookSharetoTwitterEmailthisarticleTopStories1dead,4woundedinstabbingonriver;suspectincustody:Sheriff'soffice3hoursagoSingleticketwins$1.34billionMegaMillionsjackpotJul30,1:03PMChineserocketupdates:MassivedebrismakesuncontrollablereturntoEarthJul30,6:13PMLasVegas,NMdeclaresemergency,withlessthan50daysofcleanwatersupplyleftJul29,3:16PMSpainreports2nddeathfrommonkeypoxJul30,12:31PM