Russian President Vladimir Putin has "in principle" agreed to allow civilians to leave the besieged steelworks in Mariupol in eastern Ukraine. This is what the UN says in a statement after Secretary-General António Guterre's meeting with Putin, several media outlets write.

"Follow-up discussions will be held with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Russian Ministry of Defense," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, Putin told Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan that there were no fighting in Mariupol and that Kyiv should take responsibility for the people at the steel plant, writes Reuters.

Ukraine has previously appealed to the UN to find a way to safely evacuate the civilians inside the steel plant.