MARIUPOL, Ukraine. — A Russian deadline for Ukraine to surrender a key port city in the southeast of that country has come and gone.
Russia had demanded those defending the city of Mariupol lay down their arms by today’s deadline, promising that civilians would be allowed to escape in return.
He says the next move is not yet clear. This comes on top of unconfirmed reports that thousands of Ukrainians are being removed from the besieged town and placed into what local officials are calling “camps.”
Russia is stepping up its attacks on Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv as shell-shocked residents struggle to cope with the violence. It’s been 26 days now since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his forces into neighboring Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is looking to Israel for help nearly a month into Russia’s invasion. He addressed Israeli lawmakers Sunday by video and made a plea for its Iron Dome missile defense system.
He also called for Israel to put sanctions on Russia. Zelensky went on to compare the attacks on Ukraine to the Holocaust, something that reportedly offended some Israeli lawmakers.
President Biden is set to speak by phone this morning with European leaders. Expected on the call are British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
The White House says the leaders will be discussing “their coordinated responses to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine.”
