Russia-Ukraine updates: US sanctions Russian military shipbuilder, diamond miner

NATO said on Thursday it will be establishing multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia in addition to the four NATO battlegroups already in place.

"In light of the gravest threat to Euro-Atlantic security in decades, we will also significantly strengthen our longer term deterrence and defense posture and will further develop the full range of ready forces and capabilities necessary to maintain credible deterrence and defense," NATO heads of state and government said in a statement.

They called on President Vladimir Putin to "immediately" stop the war and for Belarus to end its complicity.

NATO also warned Putin against the use of chemical weapons.

"Any use by Russia of a chemical or biological weapon would be unacceptable and result in severe consequences," NATO leaders said.

They also strongly condemned Russia’s devastating attacks on civilians and said they are deeply concerned about the increased risk of sexual violence and human trafficking.

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou

The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on another 33 people and 26 legal entities from Russia on Thursday.

Various Russian banks, including Gazprombank and Alfa-Bank, and Russian paramilitary organization the Wagner Group, were targeted, as well as Polina Kovaleva, the stepdaughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Kovaleva reportedly owns a house in London. The assets of these persons and legal entities will be frozen under the sanctions, according to a document published by the U.K. Treasury's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation.

The document noted that this latest wave of sanctions were meant to target "key strategic industries and individuals," as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its second month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a record number of international telephone calls over the past month, according to the Kremlin.

The most calls -- eight -- were placed to French President Emmanuel Macron. Others on the list include leaders of Germany, Israel, India, Turkey, Luxembourg, Uzbekistan, Armenia and the European Council. There were also negotiations with the leaders of Azerbaijan, Finland, Bahrain, Senegal, Abu Dhabi, South Africa, Egypt, Belarus, Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, Syria, Iran and China, according to the Kremlin.

Russia said Thursday that peace talks with Ukraine are continuing and are being held via video conference.

"Negotiations by the Russian and Ukrainian delegations on a draft treaty on the settlement of the situation in Ukraine, its neutrality and guarantees of its security are currently ongoing via video-conferencing. Military, political, and humanitarian aspects are being discussed," Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during a press briefing.

"We hope that Kyiv will still come to realize the inevitability of a peaceful solution to the problem of demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, its transformation into a neutral state," she added. "The sooner representatives of the Kyiv regime understand this, the sooner the special military operation will be completed."