PRESIDENT Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” on Wednesday as theatre in Mariupol bombed.
Following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s talk to Congress yesterday, President Biden spoke to reporters at an unrelated event.
“I think he is a war criminal,” the President said.
“We saw reports that Russian forces were holding hundreds of doctors and patients hostage in the largest hospital in Mariupol,” Biden continued to say.
“These are atrocities. They’re an outrage to the world. And the world is united in our support for Ukraine and our determination to make Putin pay a very heavy price.”
Meanwhile, Russian forces dropped a bomb on a theatre where civilians were being sheltered in the besieged city of Mariupol, local officials say.
Ukrainian officials say it is ‘impossible to determine’ number of victims due to shelling as Russia denies carrying out an attack.
Deputy Mayor Sergei Orlov told the BBC between 1,000 and 1,200 people had sought refuge in the building. The number of casualties was still unknown.
Local authorities say at least 2,400 people have been killed in Mariupol since the start of the war, although this is likely to be an underestimate.
Follow our Russia-Ukraine live blog below for up-to-the-minute updates…
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Russia-Ukraine news you may have missed
- Russia has slapped a ban on Joe Biden and called for Alaska to become part of its territory again
- Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted Ukraine may never join Nato in a key concession that could pave the way to peace
- Putin’s troops have taken hundreds of hospital staff and patients hostage in the besieged city of Mariupol
- Dramatic footage shows the moment a Russian tank was blown to smithereens by Ukrainian forces
- Ukraine has an unexpected trick up its sleeve in the battle against Russian forces and it comes in the form of a relatively cheap drone
- A nine-year-old girl has lost her arm after Russian forces machine-gunned her family when they tried to flee Kyiv
- Oligarchs including Roman Abramovich may never be able to return to Britain, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has warned
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Pictured: Mariupol Theatre bombed by Russians
VLADIMIR Putin’s evil troops bombed a theatre said to be sheltering up to 1,200 terrified people – despite the word “children” being written outside the building.
The Mariupol Drama Theatre was used as a safe haven from Russia’s relentless shelling of the southern port city, with meals being provided and people sleeping there overnight.
The continuous bombardment of Mariupol has forced around 20,000 Ukrainians to flee, and it’s estimated more than 2,300 citizens have been killed in the area.
The city’s deputy mayor, Serhiy Orlov, said between 1,000 and 1,200 people were inside the theatre on Wednesday when it was targeted by the Russians.
Satellite images from two days ago showed the word “children” written in large white letters in Russian outside the front and back of the building, the Maxar space technology company said.
Rescuers are searching the wreckage for survivors but the number of casualties is not yet known.
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Biden brands Putin a ‘war criminal’
PRESIDENT Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” on Wednesday as theatre in Mariupol bombed.
Following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s talk to Congress yesterday, President Biden spoke to reporters at an unrelated event.
“I think he is a war criminal,” the President said.
“We saw reports that Russian forces were holding hundreds of doctors and patients hostage in the largest hospital in Mariupol,” Biden continued to say.
“These are atrocities. They’re an outrage to the world. And the world is united in our support for Ukraine and our determination to make Putin pay a very heavy price.”
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Theatre bombed overnight where residents were sheltering
Russian forces dropped a bomb on a theatre where civilians were being sheltered in the besieged city of Mariupol, local officials say.
Ukrainian officials say it is ‘impossible to determine’ number of victims due to shelling as Russia denies carrying out an attack.
Deputy Mayor Sergei Orlov told the BBC between 1,000 and 1,200 people had sought refuge in the building. The number of casualties was still unknown.
Local authorities say at least 2,400 people have been killed in Mariupol since the start of the war, although this is likely to be an underestimate.
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Good morning, Milica Cosic logging on. I’ll be bringing you the latest news and updates today.
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Donate to The Sun’s Ukraine fund appeal
The Ukraine Crisis Appeal will support people in areas currently affected and those potentially affected in the future by the crisis.
In the unlikely event that the British Red Cross raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help them prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters anywhere in the world.
For more information, please visit https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/disaster-fund
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Queen’s art collection joins cultural boycott of Russia
The Queen’s official art collection has joined a ‘cultural boycott’ of Russia and refused permission for three antique swords to be displayed in Moscow.
The Royal Collection had been due to loan the 17th-century weapons at the Kremlin Museums, and was being sponsored by Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov.
However, Usmanov has had sanctions imposed upon him by the UK over his links to Vladimir Putin.
A spokesman for the Royal Collection said the decision to postpone the loan “was made in mid-February”.
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UK ‘sceptical’ over Ukraine-Russia peace talks
The UK’s Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, has said she is ‘sceptical’ over peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, adding that he must be stopped ‘at all costs’.
Truss said: “I am sceptical about the peace talks whilst Putin is still waging war in Ukraine. He has to implement a ceasefire and withdraw his troops for those peace talks to be taken seriously.”
“If we don’t make sure that Vladimir Putin loses in Ukraine, the likelihood is that he will want to go further. We have to stop him at all costs,” she added. “It’s so important that we stop Vladimir Putin, he is a real threat the world faces.”
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UK ‘sceptical’ over Ukraine-Russia peace talks
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss yesterday said she is ‘skeptical’ over peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, adding that he must be stopped ‘at all costs’.
Truss said: “I am sceptical about the peace talks whilst Putin is still waging war in Ukraine. He has to implement a ceasefire and withdraw his troops for those peace talks to be taken seriously.”
“If we don’t make sure that Vladimir Putin loses in Ukraine, the likelihood is that he will want to go further. We have to stop him at all costs,” she added. “It’s so important that we stop Vladimir Putin, he is a real threat the world faces.”
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Nato chief: Bloc united in support of Ukraine
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has told a meeting of delegates in Brussels that the security bloc remains in support of Ukraine.
“The world is condemning this senseless war,” Stoltenberg said. “Nato allies and partners are imposing unprecedented sanctions on Russia and we are united in our support to Ukraine.”
“For many years we have trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops and provided large quantities of critical equipment to help Ukraine uphold its right to self-defence.
“Since the start of the Russian invasion allies have significantly stepped up our support for the brave Ukrainian people, government and the armed forces with military equipment, humanitarian and financial assistance and giving shelter to millions of refugees. Today it is even more important that we all support Ukraine.”
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Ukrainian official sees no big change at front-line hotspots
Ukraine’s armed forces are conducting small-scale counter attacks on several fronts, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said on today.
Because of this, Russian troops have not been able to gain ground due to of a lack of resources.
“The situation … in the main hotspots has not changed, and has no chance of changing as Russia has used up its resources,” Arestovych told a video briefing.
The information however, could not immediately be verified by Reuters.
Russia has denied targeting civilians.
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Canada bans RT and RT France from all broadcast services
Canada has banned all TV service providers in the country from distributing Russian state-owned television channels RT and RT France, saying the programming was not consistent with Canadian standards.
“The CRTC is also concerned with programming from a foreign country that seeks to undermine the sovereignty of another country, demean Canadians of a particular ethnic background and undermine democratic institutions within Canada,” the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said in a statement.
Major Canadian cable operators had already dropped RT from their channel line-up shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Ukrainian tennis star returns to fight for country
A former Ukrainian tennis star says he has returned to his home country to help fight off Russia’s invasion.
Alexandr Dolgopolov, 33, who retired from the sport last year, announced he was taking up arms in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
He posted on Instagram: “This is my home, and we will defend it! With all the people that stayed. Big thanks and respect to all our famous people on the grounds. Lots of respect and I am proud, how united the country is, under such pressure of a crazy dictator.”
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Thanks for reading
Joe Gamp here, signing off from our live coverage of the Ukraine war.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our rolling news blog today.
My colleague Milica Cosic returns at 6am.
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PM: ‘No way’ Ukraine is joining Nato ‘anytime soon’
Boris Johnson said there is “no way Ukraine is going to join Nato anytime soon” as Ukraine’s leader said peace talks with Russia had taken a “realistic” turn.
The Prime Minister, who is visiting the Gulf as he tries to wean the West off Russian energy, said he understood the “reality of the position” expressed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during an address to London, in which he appeared to concede over the prospects of joining the alliance.
The Kyiv war leader, in a video call to Mr Johnson and representatives from Baltic and northern European countries gathered on Tuesday, expressed his frustration that Ukraine had not been allowed to join Nato, but said: “This is the truth and we have simply to accept it as it is.”
Mr Johnson, speaking to broadcasters at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, said: “I talked to Volodymyr (Zelensky) again yesterday and of course, I understand what he is saying about Nato and the reality of the position.
“And everybody has always said – and we’ve made it clear to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin – that there is no way Ukraine is going to join Nato any time soon.”
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Ukraine-Russia war: Latest developments
- Russia has slapped a ban on Joe Biden and called for Alaska to become part of its territory again
- Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted Ukraine may never join Nato in a key concession that could pave the way to peace
- Putin’s troops have taken hundreds of hospital staff and patients hostage in the besieged city of Mariupol
- Dramatic footage shows the moment a Russian tank was blown to smithereens by Ukrainian forces
- Ukraine has an unexpected trick up its sleeve in the battle against Russian forces and it comes in the form of a relatively cheap drone
- A nine-year-old girl has lost her arm after Russian forces machine-gunned her family when they tried to flee Kyiv
- Oligarchs including Roman Abramovich may never be able to return to Britain, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has warned
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David Cameron says UK should boost aid spending to help Ukraine
Former prime minister David Cameron has lamented the cut in the UK’s aid budget and said the Government could do more to help Ukraine, as he defended his own relationship with the Kremlin.
Mr Cameron called on the Government to “get back” to dedicating 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) to overseas aid, after it was cut to 0.5% last year.
He said the Cabinet should have a dedicated aid minister, who would be “100% dedicated” to the role.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has promised to return the UK’s aid contributions to 0.7% by the end of this Parliament.
But Mr Cameron said: “Let’s do more on humanitarian aid. We achieved 0.7% of GDP in our aid payments. I’m sad we’ve got away from that. I hope we can get back there.
“Let’s – with the EU – lead the donor conference, lead the aid effort.
“Let’s have a dedicated aid minister in the Cabinet doing development. The Foreign Office ministers do a great job but it’d be good to have someone who’s 100% dedicated to humanitarian aid and development.”
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As reported earlier, Joe Biden said for the first time today that he believed Vladimir Putin was a war criminal.
The Kremlin has now responded, to Joe Biden, who has branded Putin a “ar criminal”.
However. the Russian leader issued an angry rebuke to his US counterpart tonight.
Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin’s spokesman, described Mr Biden’s comments as “unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric by the leader of a country from whose bombs hundreds of thousands of people have died,” according to state news agency Ria Novosti.
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In pictures: Firefighters work to put out blaze in Kharkiv
A firefighter works at a site of a fire, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, in Kharkiv.
The building had previously operated as a warehouse.
Three people were also killed and another five wounded after shelling caused a fire at a market, Ukraine’s State Emergencies Service said today.
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UK makes agreement with Saudi Arabia to ensure stable energy markets
Boris Johnson has agreed with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to work collaboratively to ensure stable energy markets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The pair also pledged to work together in order to boost trade, defence and security co-operations.
“The Prime Minister and Crown Prince agreed to collaborate to maintain stability in the energy market and continue the transition to renewable and clean technology,” a spokesperson for Johnson said in a statement after he visited Saudi Arabia.
The spokesman added: “The Prime Minister praised progress against Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, including on women’s empowerment and employment, but raised the UK’s concerns about ongoing human rights issues.”
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‘NATO will not tolerate an attack’
After a Russian strike on a military base close to Ukraine’s border with NATO member Poland at the weekend, there are concerns about how quickly the war can escalate.
If a NATO country comes under direct attack, all members are obliged to come to its defence.
Now NATO’s secretary general has warned Moscow that an attack against a single member state would “not be tolerated”.
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Biden brands Putin a ‘war criminal’
US President Joe Biden has said for the first time that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “a war criminal” for his invasion of Ukraine.
“He is a war criminal,” Mr Biden told reporters after an event at the White House, as death and destruction in Ukraine continue to worsen.
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US president Biden to travel to Europe for talks next week
President Joe Biden will travel to Europe next week for face-to-face talks with European leaders about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Tuesday.
Biden will meet with NATO and European leaders in Brussels on March 24.
The trip follows on Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to eastern flank NATO countries of Poland and Romania last week to discuss with leaders the growing refugee crisis in eastern Europe sparked by the Russian invasion and to underscore the Biden administration’s support for NATO allies.
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Biden announces new package of military help for Ukraine
President Joe Biden has announced a new package of military help for Ukraine.
The White House is providing $800m “unprecedented assistance”, which will also include drone technology.
The president said the US is also helping Ukraine “identify and get longer range anti-aircraft systems” and much needed munitions
The announcement comes hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a historic address to the US Congress – and repeated his plea for a no-fly zone.
The White House was quick to rule out his request once again, but said further help would be on the way.
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BBC news website blocked in Russia
Russian authorities have blocked the BBC’s news website.
Russia’s media watchdog Roskomnadzor said access to the BBC’s main news website had been stopped.
it came as Moscow’s foreign ministry warned of more retaliatory measures against the media.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram: “I think this is only the beginning of retaliatory measures to the information war unleashed by the West against Russia.”
