Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now

Russian gas was still flowing to Europe on Friday despite a deadline set by President Vladimir Putin to cut it off unless customers start paying in roubles, Moscow's strongest threat to retaliate for sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine.

Russian gas was still flowing to Europe on Friday despite a deadline set by President Vladimir Putin to cut it off unless customers start paying in roubles, Moscow's strongest threat to retaliate for sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine. NEXT STEPS * Member states of the International Energy Agency are set to convene an extraordinary meeting (1200 GMT) to discuss stabilizing global oil markets roiled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including a possible coordinated stocks release. * One of Putin's allies warned that Russia, a major global wheat exporter, could limit supplies of agriculture products to "friendly" countries only. * Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov began meetings with India's leaders in New Delhi after seen his Chinese counterpart earlier in the week, as Moscow tries to keep the Asian powers on its side. * Russia and Ukraine are due to resume peace talks online, a senior Ukrainian official said.

FIGHTING * Ukrainian forces are preparing for new Russian attacks on the Donbas region in the southeast after they repelled Russia's assault on the capital Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. * He said the situation in the south and the Donbas remained extremely difficult and Russia was building up forces near the besieged and devastated southern port of Mariupol. * Russia had promised an evacuation ceasefire for Mariupol after a request to Putin from French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. But an aide to the city's mayor said it was "very dangerous" for anyone trying to leave and Russian forces had not been letting in even small amounts of humanitarian supplies since Thursday. ECONOMY * Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom said on Friday it was continuing to supply natural gas to Europe via Ukraine in line with requests from European consumers. * A source told Reuters some gas contracts involved delivery before payment, suggesting the taps might not be turned off immediately. * Banks should beware of fake news that could trigger a run on their deposits, the European Union's banking watchdog said in a warning about potential fallout from the war in Ukraine. * Senior U.S. officials fanned out this week to press world leaders to join the campaign of sanctions and other measures to pressure Moscow, as the initial economic shock to Russia seems to be ebbing. * U.S. President Joe Biden announced the largest release from the U.S. emergency oil reserve to bring down gasoline prices that have soared during the war. * A U.S. government official shared images of what they said was damage to grain storage facilities in Ukraine, the world's fourth-largest gain exporter in the 2020/21 season. QUOTES * "When our army came then I fully understood we had been liberated. It was happiness beyond imagination. I pray for all this to end and for them never to come back," Lilia Ristich said in Irpin near Kyiv. "When you hold a child in your arms it is an everlasting fear."