Russia-Ukraine war: Biden warns Putin the US will ‘respond’ if chemical weapons are used
A major Russian ship has been destroyed by Ukraine missiles as US President Joe Biden gives Russia his most threatening warning yet.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has told world leaders there is a “real” threat that Moscow will use chemical weapons in Ukraine, accusing Russia of having already used phosphorus bombs against civilians in the country.
A month since Russia launched its shock invasion, Ukraine’s leader demanded NATO “save” his shattered country with all-out military aid to let its armed forces turn their dogged defence into attack.
After relentless Russian bombardment of Ukrainian cities, the vast scale of civilian suffering was made stark as the UN said more than half of all Ukraine’s children have been driven from their homes.
“The threat of full-scale use by Russia of chemical weapons on the territory of Ukraine is real,” Zelensky told a G7 summit in Brussels via videolink on Thursday.
He said that Kyiv had information that Russian troops “used phosphorus bombs against peaceful people in Ukraine”.
“A month of heroic resistance. A month of the darkest suffering,” he told the leaders including US President Joe Biden, at the first of three Brussels summits that were tightening the sanctions screws on Russia.
“To save people and our cities, Ukraine needs military assistance without restrictions,” Zelensky said. “In the same way that Russia is using its full arsenal without restrictions against us.”
Biden said that the US would respond if Russian President Vladimir Putin used weapons of mass destruction, but that the response would depend on the situation.
“We would respond if he uses it,” he told reporters.
“The nature of the response would depend on the nature of use.”
Address by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the participants of the Group of Seven summit âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/R7LZhVg0pdpic.twitter.com/Bds7MT8bXt
— Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) March 24, 2022
In a joint statement Thursday, the leaders of the G7 warned Russia against using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in the invasion of Ukraine.
“We warn against any threat of the use of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons or related materials,” the leaders wrote after meeting in Brussels.
They also denounced Russia’s attempts at disinformation suggesting Ukraine was preparing to use a chemical or nuclear weapon.
“We categorically denounce Russia’s malicious and completely unfounded disinformation campaign against Ukraine, a state in full compliance with international non-proliferation agreements. We express concern about other countries and actors that have amplified Russia’s disinformation campaign,” the leaders wrote.
Long-range Russian strikes on the eastern city of Kharkiv killed at least six civilians and wounded more than a dozen, Ukrainian authorities said.
At least four people including two children were killed in strikes elsewhere in the east, Lugansk governor Sergiy Gayday said, accusing Russian forces of using phosphorus bombs in the village of Rubizhne.
Britain’s ITV network showed footage of the incendiary weapons – which cause horrific burns – dropping in a white haze overnight on the commuter town of Irpin near Kyiv.
“(Russian President) Vladimir Putin has already crossed the red line into barbarism,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in Brussels.
I was proud to meet with my fellow G7 leaders today. We remain resolved to stand with the Ukrainian people and government who heroically resist President Putin’s military aggression and war of choice against their sovereign nation. pic.twitter.com/CmkqFcfaYj
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 24, 2022
I’m announcing additional sanctions on over 400 Russian elites, lawmakers, and defense companies in response to Putin’s war of choice in Ukraine.
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 24, 2022
They personally gain from the Kremlin’s policies, and they should share in the pain.
Britain slapped sanctions Thursday on 59 more Russian individuals and entities, as well as six Belarusian enterprises over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, targeting a shadowy mercenary firm and the world’s largest diamond producer.
The latest measures, against a range of key strategic industries and people, takes to more than 1,000 the number of Russian and Belarusian individuals and businesses sanctioned by London in recent weeks.
Those now include the billionaire oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler, the founder of Tinkoff bank Oleg Tinkov, Sberbank chief executive Herman Gref, and Polina Kovaleva, said to be the stepdaughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
I would like you to meet Polina Kovaleva. Polina is a 26-year-old glamorous Russian girl from London🇬🇧. She lives in a huge apartment in Kensington and loves to party, her instagram feed looks like a non-stop holiday. That’s not unheard of, but there is one small detail…(THREAD) pic.twitter.com/6OsVGjPxQQ
— Maria Pevchikh (@pevchikh) March 10, 2022
Galina Danilchenko, installed by Moscow as mayor of the Ukrainian city Melitopol, became the first person sanctioned by London for collaboration with Russian forces currently in Ukraine.
Britain also targeted six more banks, Russian Railways, the defence company Kronshtadt -- the main producer of Russian drones - and diamond giant Alrosa, according to the foreign ministry.
The Wagner Group, an organisation of Russian mercenaries which has been active in the Kremlin’s other recent conflict zones and has reportedly been tasked with assassinating Zelensky, was also sanctioned.
“These oligarchs, businesses and hired thugs are complicit in the murder of innocent civilians and it is right that they pay the price,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement announcing the new package of penalties.
“Putin should be under no illusions - we are united with our allies and will keep tightening the screw on the Russian economy to help ensure he fails in Ukraine,” she added.
All those sanctioned will see their British assets frozen, meaning no UK citizen or company can do business with them, while individuals are subject to travel bans prohibiting them from travelling to or from Britain.
The latest measures will bring the total global asset value of the banks the UK has sanctioned since the invasion to US$660 billion, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said.
The net worth of oligarchs and family members targeted totals more than US$197 billion, it added.
I’m at @NATO where I’ll be urging our allies and partners to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defences as they turn the tide in this fight. We cannot and will not stand by while Russia grinds Ukraine’s towns and cities into dust. 1/6
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 24, 2022
In remarks after meeting with NATO leaders in Brussels, Biden said “we’re determined to sustain” efforts outlined during the emergency NATO meeting right after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and “to build on them.”
“The United States is committed to provide over $2 billion in military equipment to Ukraine since I became president. Anti-air systems, anti-armor systems, , ammunition and our weapons are flowing into Ukraine as I speak. And today, I am announcing the United States is prepared to commit more than $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to help get relief to millions of Ukrainians affected by the war in Ukraine,” Biden said.
Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly adopted a new non-binding resolution that demanded an “immediate” stop to Russia’s war in Ukraine. In a vote the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday, 140 countries voted in favour, 38 abstained and five voted against the measure, which follows on the heels of a March 2 resolution that similarly demanded Russia immediately cease its use of force.
RUSSIAN SHIP DESTROYED
A major Russian ship used to bring supplies to troops has been destroyed.
The Orsk, a ship that took soldiers to besieged Mariupol, was attacked and destroyed by Ukranian ballistic missiles.
Dramatic pictures showed fire and thivk, black smoke as the Orsk, docked in Berdiansk on the Azov Sea, went up in flames. The fire on the Orsk then spread to other vessels, and to an ammunition depot and a fuel terminal in the port.
It was carrying weapons and supplies for forces fighting in Mariupol and reportedly is capable of carrying 20 tanks, 45 armoured vehicles and 400 troops.
‘BIG MISTAKE’: NATO CHIEF BLASTS PUTIN
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of making a “big mistake” by invading Ukraine, as leaders gathered to discuss overhauling the alliance’s eastern defences.
“President Putin has made a big mistake and that is to launch a war against an independent sovereign nation. He has underestimated the strength of the Ukrainian people, the bravery of the Ukrainian people and their armed forces,” Mr Stoltenberg said ahead of the start of a summit in Brussels.
Mr Stoltenberg said the leaders of the US-led military alliance would “address the need for a reset of our deterrence and defence in the longer term”, starting with agreeing new deployments to eastern members Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
It comes as the UN General Assembly is expected to vote on a new non-binding resolution which, if adopted by a majority of member states, will “demand” that Russia stop the war in Ukraine “immediately”.
The vote comes after 141 countries approved an earlier resolution on March 2 that similarly demands Russia immediately cease the use of force against Ukraine.
HUGE BLOW TO RUSSIAN FORCES
Vladimir Putin’s army has been forced further back from Ukraine’s capital and in other areas appear to have “ceded ground” during another brutal day of fighting.
The dramatic events illustrate how fierce the resistance from the Ukrainians has been – and how Russia may have accepted they cannot take control of Kyiv.
A senior Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Russian army has retreated more than 30km east of Kyiv and has begun to establish defensive positions on several fronts in Ukraine.
They are now 55km east and northeast of Kyiv “which is a change from yesterday,” the official said.
Earlier this week the Pentagon estimated that Russian forces were around 20km from the centre of the capital.
The fact they were “digging in” showed they had given up trying to move forward.
“They’re basically digging in and they are establishing defensive positions. So it’s not that they’re not advancing. They’re actually not trying to advance right now,” the official said.
Russian forces also remain blocked 10km from the centre of Chernihiv, northeast of Kyiv, according to Pentagon estimates.
They are “stalled” and in some places “they are ceding ground, they are actually moving in the opposite direction, but not by much,” the official noted.
While in Kharkiv in the east, where fighting remains intense, Russian forces are still 15 to 20km from the city centre and face “very, very stiff resistance” from the Ukrainians”.
The Russians appear to be focusing on the pro-Russian separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east.
15,000 RUSSIAN TROOPS DEAD: NATO
NATO officials believe Ukrainian forces – who have had their arsenal boosted by Western weapons – may have already killed as many as 15,000 Russian soldiers and wounded perhaps 30,000-40,000.
At least 264 civilians, including four children, have died in the Ukrainian capital since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the city’s Mayor Vitaly Klitschko.
Mr Klitschko said more than 300 people have been hospitalised and almost 100 buildings have been destroyed.
“The target of aggressors is the capital of Ukraine,” he said in a statement on YouTube.
The bombardment of Ukraine by Russian forces began one month ago.
Half of Kyiv’s three million population had fled since the start of the war.
“We need support right now in this very difficult time,” Mr Klitschko said.
“Everybody’s surprised how tough Ukrainian army, how tough Ukrainian soldiers (are) because we stand in front one of the strongest armies in the world: the Russian army.”
Mr Klitschko said Ukrainians were showing such strong resistance because they were fighting for the future of their country.
It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged people around the world to unite in a global protest against the invasion.
“The world must stop the war,” he said.
“Come from your offices, your homes, your schools and universities, come in the name of peace, come with Ukrainian symbols to support Ukraine, to support freedom, to support life,” he said.
UK TO SEND MORE MISSILES TO UKRAINE
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain would send 6000 missiles and £25 million ($44 million) in financial aid to Ukraine’s army to help it fight Russian forces.
The announcement of the funding and additional military hardware, consisting of anti-tank and high explosive weapons, comes on the eve of NATO and G7 summits set to discuss the Russian invasion.
The British leader will urge Western allies to “step up a gear” in their responses to Moscow’s actions, including by providing “enhanced defensive support to Ukraine and doubling down on economic sanctions”, according to his office.
He will detail London’s intention to work with partners to bolster Ukraine’s defence capabilities, including longer-range targeting and intelligence, Downing Street added.
“We cannot and will not stand by while Russia grinds Ukraine’s towns and cities into dust,” Johnson said in a statement unveiling the new support package for Kyiv.
“The United Kingdom will work with our allies to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defences as they turn the tide in this fight.”
‘A STEP TOO FAR’: SCOMO OBJECTS TO PUTIN AT G20
Allowing Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit with other world leaders at this year’s G20 summit would be “a step too far”, Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.
Mr Putin has already been invited to the G20 heads of state summit in November by this year’s host Jakarta, and he intends to be there, Russia’s ambassador to Indonesia said this week.
But Mr Morrison objected, citing Russia’s war in neighbouring Ukraine.
“I think we need to have people in the room that aren’t invading other countries,” he said.
The prime minister said he had been in “direct contact” with Indonesian President Joko Widodo about Mr Putin’s attendance at the Group of 20, which brings together the world’s top economies, including the United States, China, Japan and some European nations.
“Russia has invaded Ukraine. This is a violent and aggressive act that shatters the international rule of law,” Mr Morrison told a news conference in Melbourne.
“And the idea of sitting around a table with Vladimir Putin … for me, is a step too far.”
RUSSIA EXPELS US DIPLOMATS
Russia said it was expelling US diplomats in retaliation for Washington’s step to remove 12 of Moscow’s representatives to the UN based in New York.
“On March 23, a note with the list of the American diplomats declared ‘persona non grata’ was handed to the head of the American diplomatic mission who was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the ministry said in a statement.
The decision was taken in response to the expulsion by Washington of Russian diplomats at the UN in New York, the source said.
“The US side has been given firm notice that any hostile action by the United States against Russia will be met with a resolute and appropriate response,” the statement added.
A US State Department spokesperson confirmed it had received the list from Moscow.
“This is Russia’s latest unhelpful and unproductive step in our bilateral relationship. We call on the Russia government to end its unjustified expulsions of US diplomats and staff,” this official said.
“Now more than ever, it is critical that our countries have the necessary diplomatic personnel in place to facilitate communication between our governments.”
Harrowing echo of day music died
Bound by wrenching misery, this community of survivors amassed in the dark for this saddest of reunions, waiting until exactly 6:29am – the moment when a final song that had been playing at the Nova festival was cut off due to the incoming rocket fire.
Read more
Thousands gather for ‘pain of wounded humanity’
Thousands of people gathered over the weekend for the first emotional commemorations marking the anniversary of Palestinian militant group Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Read more