Geneva, Mar 16 (AP) The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross is in Kyiv to try to obtain greater access for humanitarian groups in Ukraine and better protection for civilians.

The ICRC said Wednesday that the planned five-day visit by its president, Peter Maurer, aims to view first-hand the challenges facing civilians, meet with members of Ukraine's government and explore ways the ICRC can expand its work in the country.

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The trip came a day after the Geneva-based organisation helped shepherd out hundreds of people in an evacuation from the northern city of Sumy in some 80 buses.

The ICRC also announced the delivery of 200 tonnes of aid to Ukraine, including kits for the war-wounded, blankets, kitchen sets, water and more than 5,200 body bags.

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The ICRC has been working in Ukraine since 2014 and has a team of more than 600 staffers there, it says.

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Today's key developments:

-- Russia says Ukraine talks are progressing but military onslaught continues.

-- Ukraine's president is preparing to make a direct appeal to the US Congress for more help.

-- Ukraine sees possible room for compromise in talks with Russia despite new assaults on Mariupol.

-- Mariupol descends into despair.

-- Russia could default - what then?

-- US President Joe Biden will travel to Europe next week for face-to-face talks with European leaders about Russia's invasion.

Here's what else is happening today:

Rome: Italy is bolstering its refugee reception system to accommodate the around 47,000 Ukrainian refugees who have arrived since the start of the Russian invasion.

Top government officials from Italy's interior, economy and labor ministries, as well as the Civil Protection agency, met Wednesday to coordinate Italy's response.

To date, 47,153 Ukrainians have arrived, including 19,069 minors, the government said in a statement.

Italy initially processes refugees in welcome centres. They are then placed with families or in apartments run by NGOs, church groups or other agencies.

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Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says a “business-like spirit” is emerging at talks with Ukraine that are now focused on a neutral status for the war-torn country.

“A neutral status is being seriously discussed in connection with security guarantees,” Lavrov said Wednesday on Russian channel RBK TV.

“There are concrete formulations that in my view are close to being agreed.”

He didn't elaborate, but said “the business-like spirit” starting to surface in the talks “gives hope that we can agree on this issue.”

Russia's chief negotiator in the latest round of talks with Ukraine, which started Monday and are set to continue Wednesday, said earlier the sides are discussing a possible compromise idea for a future Ukraine with a smaller, non-aligned military.

“A whole range of issues tied with the size of Ukraine's army is being discussed,” Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said, according to Russian news agencies.

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that the country realizes it can't join NATO. Ukraine's bid to join the Western military alliance has been a sore point for Moscow. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)