World News Roundup: Russia says West's sanctions create a 'problem' for Iran nuclear deal; In New York's 'Little Odessa,' Ukrainians see Russians as neighbors, not enemies and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russia says West's sanctions create a 'problem' for Iran nuclear deal

Russia said on Saturday that Western sanctions imposed over the conflict in Ukraine had become a stumbling block for the Iran nuclear deal, warning that West that Russian national interests would have to be taken into account. Iran said on Saturday it had agreed a roadmap with the U.N. nuclear watchdog to resolve all outstanding questions about the country's nuclear program by late June, a move seen as a latest push to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with global powers.

In New York's 'Little Odessa,' Ukrainians see Russians as neighbors, not enemies

In just one day, Inga Sokolnikova filled two rooms in her beauty salon in New York City's Brighton Beach with donated diapers, clothes and medical supplies for her native country of Ukraine. Donations poured in not only from Ukrainian and Ukrainian American residents of this diverse waterfront neighborhood in south Brooklyn, but also from Russians as well as Georgians, Uzbeks and Azerbaijanis.

'Please close the sky' Ukrainians refugees plead

Ukrainians fleeing into central European pleaded for Western nations to take tougher steps against Russia following Moscow's invasion that has created more than 1 million refugees.

At the Medyka crossing, Poland's busiest, along its roughly 500-kilometre (310-mile) border with Ukraine, refugees called for a no-fly zone over Ukraine -- something NATO powers have so far ruled out on the grounds it would risk escalating the conflict beyond Ukraine.

Turkey's Erdogan to speak to Russia's Putin on Sunday -spokesman

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will speak to Vladimir Putin by phone on Sunday to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine, spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said, adding Turkey was ready to help resolve the crisis. NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has good ties to both, but opposes sanctions on Moscow. Ankara has called the invasion unacceptable and offered to host peace talks, while calling for a ceasefire.

Iran says agreed roadmap with IAEA to resolve nuclear issues

Iran said on Saturday it had agreed a roadmap with the U.N. nuclear watchdog to resolve all outstanding questions about the country's nuclear program by late June, a move seen as a latest push to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with global powers. The announcement comes as all parties involved in indirect talks between Tehran and Washington aimed at reviving the nuclear pact have said they were close to reaching an agreement in Vienna.

Macron gets French poll boost after Ukraine crisis interventions

French President Emmanuel Macron's lead over rival candidates ahead of next month's election has grown in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to a poll published on Saturday by Le Monde newspaper. The Sopra Steria poll showed Macron winning 30.5% of votes in the first round of voting on April 10, up from 26.5% a week earlier.

Number of Ukraine refugees could grow to 1.5 million this weekend, UNHCR head says

The situation in Ukraine remains dire and the number of refugees fleeing the Russian invasion couldl potentially rise to 1.5 million by the end of the weekend from a current 1.3 million, the head of the U.N. refugee agency said on Saturday. "This is the fastest moving refugee crisis we have seen in Europe since the end of World War Two," UNHCR head Filippo Grandi told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Blinken in Poland for talks on security, refugees

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Poland's prime minister and foreign minister on Saturday in the Polish city of Rzeszow, near to the Ukrainian border that hundreds of thousands of people have crossed since Russia began invading Ukraine. Speaking before a visit to a border crossing, Blinken praised Poland for its response to Russia's actions. Poland, a NATO member state, is hosting roughly 10,000 U.S. troops, with more than half arriving in recent weeks.

Ukraine accuses Russia of continuing assault during agreed evacuation ceasefire

Russia said its forces had stopped firing near two besieged Ukrainian cities on Saturday to allow safe passage to civilians fleeing fighting, but officials in one of the cities said Moscow was not fully observing the limited ceasefire. The Russian defence ministry said its units had opened humanitarian corridors near the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha which were encircled by its troops, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered into its 10th day.

Kremlin says the West is behaving like a bandit

The Kremlin said on Saturday that the West was behaving like a bandit by cutting economic relations over the conflict in Ukraine but that Russia was far too big to be isolated as the world was much larger than just the United States and Europe. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the West was engaged in "economic banditry" against Russia and that Moscow would respond. He did not specify what response there would be but said it would be in line with Russian interests.

(With inputs from agencies.)