According to a report, two children were among the three people killed when Russian troops opened fire on civilians during an evacuation in Irpen.
LIVE UPDATES ON THE WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE:Â Â
On Sunday, the number of Ukrainian refugees was anticipated to surpass 1.5 million, as Russia intensified its offensive 11 days after entering Ukraine, and Kyiv urged for stronger Western intervention, including sanctions and arms.Â
A failed ceasefire agreement that would have let residents to evacuate Mariupol and Volnovakha, two southern cities encircled by Russian soldiers, was blamed by both Moscow and Kyiv.
Another round of discussions was tentatively scheduled for Monday as Ukrainians who were able to flee fled to Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and other countries.Â
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky urged for citizens in regions held by Russian soldiers to go on the offensive and fight in a televised speech on Saturday night.Â
He promised to restore his country by saying,
“We must go outdoors and push this evil out of our towns.”
“The spirit of our opposition, our protest, strengthens my belief in this.”Â
Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously stated his desire for a neutral Ukraine that has been “demilitarised” and “denazified,” and compared Western sanctions to “a declaration of war,” adding,
“Thank God it has not come to that.”Â
Ukraine and Western nations have slammed Putin’s justifications as a spurious excuse for the invasion he began on February 24, and have slapped sweeping sanctions aimed at isolating and damaging Moscow’s economy.Â
After meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Ukraine-Poland border, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated he expects further sanctions and arms for Ukraine in the coming days.Â
The US has stated that it will provide more weaponry to Ukraine and has frequently threatened to intensify sanctions, with President Joe Biden requesting $10 billion in emergency assistance to address the problem.Â
A White House official said late Saturday that the US is working with Poland as it examines whether to deploy fighter planes to Ukraine, and that if they did, the US would be able to replace Poland’s supply of jets, despite the problems posed by the contested airspace.Â
In a video conversation with US senators earlier on Saturday, Zelenskiy requested assistance in getting aircraft from European partners.
According to US media, he also asked for additional deadly aid, an embargo on Russian oil, a no-fly zone, and an end to Visa Inc and MasterCard Inc privileges in Russia.Â
According to the White House, Biden spoke with Zelenskiy for roughly 30 minutes in Washington on Saturday evening as Sunday dawned in Ukraine.
According to Zelenskiy, they addressed security, financial support for Ukraine, and the continuance of sanctions against Russia.Â
NATO, which Ukraine wants to join, has rejected Zelenskiy’s calls for a no-fly zone above his nation, claiming that doing so will exacerbate the crisis outside of Ukraine.Â
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Saturday and afterwards spoke with Zelenskiy, according to Bennett’s spokeswoman.Â
After the call, Zelenskiy wrote,
“We continue talking.”Â
Before meeting with leaders from Canada, the Netherlands, and Central Europe in London next week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson presented a six-point plan to respond to Russia’s incursion.Â
On Sunday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is due to meet with Putin. Turkey, a NATO member, has a Black Sea maritime border with Ukraine and Russia.Â
Ukraine’s negotiators indicated a third round of ceasefire negotiations with Russia will take place on Monday, however Moscow seemed less certain.
Edited By: Kiran Maharana
Published By: Shramana Sengupta
