Nearly 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees on day 11 of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Nearly 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees on day 11 of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The number of Ukrainian refugees will reach nearly 1.5 million on Sunday as Russia continues it’s offensive 11 days after it invaded Ukraine. Kyiv has urged Western countries to do more in response, including increased sanctions on Russia and more weapons to Ukraine.

Nearly 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees on day 11 of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of being responsible for the aborted ceasefire. If the two sides can reach an agreement on a ceasefire, people in the two southern cities of Mariupol and Vornovaha, which are covered by Russian forces, can flee the war zone. A new round of talks is tentatively scheduled for Monday. Meanwhile, Ukrainian refugees fleeing their homes are pouring into neighboring Poland, Romania, Slovakia and other countries.

In a televised speech Saturday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on people in areas occupied by Russian forces to continue the offensive and fighting.

“We have to go out and drive these demons out of our city,” he said, vowing to rebuild his country. “The strength of our defiance and protest has boosted my confidence.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier reiterated his desire for a neutral Ukraine to be “demilitarized” and “denazified” and compared Western sanctions to a “declaration of war”. He said, “Thank God, things haven’t gotten to this point.”

Ukraine and the West have denounced Putin, citing his grounds as a baseless pretext for launching the invasion on February 24 and imposing sweeping sanctions aimed at isolating Moscow and weakening its economy.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kulba said after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Blinken at the Ukraine-Poland border that he expected new sanctions on Russia and more weapons to Ukraine in the coming days.

The United States has said it will provide Ukraine with more weapons and has repeatedly warned that sanctions on Russia could be increased. President Biden is seeking $10 billion in emergency funding to deal with the crisis in Ukraine.

A White House spokesman said late Saturday that Washington was in talks with Poland. Warsaw is considering whether to supply Ukraine with fighter jets. The spokesman also said that if they did, the United States could replenish Poland’s aircraft supply, although challenges remain given the contested airspace.

In a video address to U.S. lawmakers earlier Saturday, Zelensky pleaded for help to obtain warplanes from European allies, U.S. media reported. He also called for more deadly aid, an embargo on Russian oil, a no-fly zone, and a suspension of Visa and Mastercard operations in Russia.

The White House said President Biden spoke with Zelensky in Washington for about 30 minutes on Saturday night in the U.S. with Sunday coming up in Ukraine. Zelensky tweeted that they discussed security, financial support for Ukraine and continued sanctions against Russia.

However, NATO, which Ukraine wants to join, has rejected Zelensky’s call for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying it could escalate the fighting beyond Ukraine.
(This article is based on a Reuters report.)