March 24, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

US President Joe Biden says he hopes to see Ukrainian refugees when he visits Poland on Friday, though he said he doubted witnessing the crisis first-hand would alter his approach.

Biden is expected to visit Poland on Friday, where millions of refugees have fled amid the war in Ukraine. Precise details of his visit there are being closely held for security reasons.

Biden, noting he’d visited “many, many war zones,” said he understood the plight of migrants. 

“I’ve been in refugee camps. I’ve been in war zones for the last 15 years. And it’s – it’s devastating,” he said. “The thing you look at the most is you see these young children that are in those camps.”

Biden said visiting with refugees would reinforce his view that the US must act in a major way to assist in the relocation of those displaced by war.

“The United States is the leader of — one of the leaders in the international community. Has an obligation to be engaged,” he said.

More context: At least 10 million people have been forced to flee their homes in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion less than a month ago, the head of the United Nations’ refugee agency said Sunday.

Of those who have left their homes, the majority — 6.48 million as of March 16, according to figures provided by the International Organization for Migration on Friday — have been internally displaced since the conflict began on Feb 24.

Others have sought refuge in neighboring countries, including Poland, Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia, Russia and Belarus.

More than 3.2 million people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion in late February, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The Polish Ministry of the Interior said Friday that at least two million refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine have crossed the border into Poland. The number of refugees still in Poland is considerably lower, with many of those fleeing the conflict continuing their journey to other European countries.

CNN’s George Ramsay and Benjamin Brown contributed reporting to this post.

US President Joe Biden said leaders discussed the possibilities of food shortages triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Biden said food shortages will be “real,” and he called Ukraine and Russia the “breadbasket” for Europe.

Supplies from the two countries together account for almost 30% of global wheat trade.

“We had a long discussion in the G7 with … both the United States, which has a significant — the third largest producer of wheat in the world — as well as Canada, which is also a major, major producer. And we both talked about how we could increase and disseminate more rapidly food … In addition to that, we talked about urging all the European countries and everyone else to end trade restrictions on sending, limitations on sending food abroad. So we are in the process of working out with our European friends what it would be, what it would take to help alleviate the concerns relative to food shortages,” he said.

Biden also mentioned a “significant” US investment model for humanitarian assistance, which would include food.

Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron laid out the details of a proposed EU-led food security initiative designed to alleviate the risk of food shortages caused by the war.

“This situation will create a food crisis, extremely serious humanitarian situations in several countries and are sure to have massive political consequences in several countries,” Macron said at a news conference in Brussels on Thursday.

According to a document circulated by the Elysée, Russia is the top exporter of wheat worldwide (33 million tons in 2021) with Ukraine not far behind (fourth largest exporter, with 20 million tons in 2021).

The document estimates 27 mostly African and Middle Eastern countries source over 50% of their wheat from Russia or Ukraine.

The three-pronged initiative spelled out in the document would rely on measures, such as making crisis stockpiles of grain available to “avoid any shortages and keep prices down,” raising production thresholds, and stepping up investments in sustainable agriculture in the most-affected countries.

CNN’s Simon Bouvier contributed reporting to this post.

US President Joe Biden speaks about the Russian invasion of Ukraine during a news conference after a NATO summit and Group of Seven meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday.

US President Joe Biden said he believes China understands the potentially dire economic consequences that would ensue should the country provide assistance to Russia in its war in Ukraine.

Biden said he had a “very straightforward conversation” with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week on the topic.

He said he “made no threats,” but did make clear that Xi “understood the consequences of him helping Russia.”

He said he pointed out the consequences of Russia’s behavior, and pointed out that China had sought to develop stronger economic ties with the West. He said he told Xi “he’d be putting himself at significant jeopardy in those aims, if, in fact, he were to move forward.”

“I think that China understands that its economic future is much more closely tied to the west than it is to Russia. And so I am hopeful that he does not get engaged,” Biden said.

US President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin had indicated to him in their early conversations that he believed the NATO alliance would not remain united.

US President Joe 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.

“So you’ve warned about the real threat of chemical weapons being used. Have you gathered specific intelligence that suggests that President Putin is deploying these weapons, moving them into position or considering their use? And would the US or NATO respond with military action if he did use chemical weapons?” the Associated Press asked the US President during his news conference.

Earlier today, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance will reinforce its chemical, biological and nuclear defense systems on fears Russia is planning to use such weapons against the people of Ukraine.

In remarks after meeting with NATO leaders in Brussels, US President Joe 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.” 

Biden said the US is ready to welcome 100,000 Ukrainian refugees in to the country. The President also confirmed new sanctions on hundreds of Russian individuals and members of government.

“NATO has never, never been more united than it is today. Putin is getting exactly the opposite what he intended to have as a consequence of going into Ukraine,” he said.

US President Joe Biden is speaking at a news conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, after meeting with other world leaders of NATO, the European Council and the G7 as they seek to align their responses to Russia’s invasion.

A downed power line tower, burned-out cars and apartment complexes gutted by military strikes can be seen in new video from Mariupol, which was posted by the Ukrainian city’s council on Thursday.

CNN has geolocated and verified the authenticity of the video.

The video starts with a car driving south down Krupina Street. This area of western Mariupol has seen intense fighting for weeks, and nearly every single building — including a number of hospitals — in the area has sustained significant damage.

The trees around them are charred, with most of their branches seen splintered around them on the ground.

The apartment complexes on the left are also charred. On a side road between two of the apartment buildings, the bombed-out remains of a city bus and bulldozer are seen. 

A clear blue sky is seen through the apartment building-turned-debris pile, with only portions of the facades and balconies still standing in parts of the building.

Further down the street, the remains of a local gym is seen. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Thursday.

Any Russian use of chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine “would be a breach of all rules, all agreements and all existing conventions,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said after an extraordinary G7 meeting in Brussels on Thursday. “We can only say: Don’t do it!”

Scholz firmly rejected Russian allegations that that Ukraine was developing chemical or biological weapons. 

Scholz also rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that “unfriendly” countries begin paying for Russian gas in rubles.

“The currency of payment is part of the contract and that is what is valid. Mostly it reads euros or dollar,” Scholz said in Brussels. 

He conceded that energy had been left out of Western sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, but said that was intentional.

It was a “very conscious decision” of the bloc to exclude the imports of oil, gas and coal from the packet of sanctions. The bloc was working on further sanctions, said Scholz. 

In order to lessen Germany’s dependence on Russian energy, the country will begin the construction of two liquefied natural gas terminals to receive natural gas this year, Scholz said.

The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to call on Russia to Ukraine and provide more civilian protection as Russia’s month-long invasion of Ukraine continues.

New footage shows the extent of destruction in some Ukrainian cities caused by Russian forces as Western leaders gather in Brussels to conduct extraordinary sessions of NATO, the European Council and the G7.

Here’s a look at other key developments:

Civilian casualties: The civilian death toll in Ukraine has exceeded 1,000 since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said Thursday — warning that “the actual figures are considerably higher.”

“Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes,” according to the OHCHR.

In a statement, the UN body detailed the 1,035 civilian deaths as “214 men, 160 women, 14 girls, and 28 boys, as well as 48 children and 571 adults whose sex is yet unknown.”

Destruction of cities in Ukraine: As Russia attempts to link advances made in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine with its stronghold in the far east of the country, the city of Izyum has found itself caught up in terrible fighting, a local official said. 

Council deputy Max Strelnyk told CNN the town had been “completely destroyed” by Russian aircraft and artillery, even as fierce battles continued inside Izyum for control of the ground. 

Strelnyk said Russian troops occupied the northern part of the city and were attempting to cross the Seversky Donets River — which makes a U-shape as it runs through the town — to take the southern part as well, currently held by Ukrainian armed forces. 

CNN has previously reported that much of central Izyum has been destroyed by military strikes. 

A Russian missile strike hit a shopping mall parking lot in Kharkiv, killing six people and injuring 15, regional governor Oleg Syniehubov said. 

People were waiting outside a post office in the mall to receive humanitarian aid, Syniehubov added. 

Video of the incident, which has been geolocated by CNN, shows people attending to several apparent casualties in the parking lot. 

NATO will reinforce its chemical, biological and nuclear defense systems on fears Russia is planning to use such weapons against the people of Ukraine, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday. 

UN General Assembly votes to call on Russia to end the war in Ukraine: The United Nations General Assembly has again delivered a resounding diplomatic blow to Russia, with an overwhelming vote calling for Russia to stop its war on Ukraine, plus more protection of civilians.

There were 140 countries in favor, five opposed and 38 abstentions on a resolution sponsored by the United States and nearly two dozen other countries. A few weeks ago, 141 countries backed a resolution deploring Russia’s invasion.

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.

Without mentioning China specifically, the leaders alluded to Beijing’s consideration of providing Russia military or financial assistance.

“We will continue to cooperate closely, including by engaging other governments on adopting similar restrictive measures to those already imposed by G7 members and on refraining from evasion, circumvention and backfilling that seek to undercut or mitigate the effects of our sanctions,” the leaders wrote.

And without taking an explicit stance on Russia’s participation in the G20, the leaders said that “international organisations and multilateral fora should no longer conduct their activities with Russia in a business as usual manner.”

A Russian missile strike hit a shopping mall parking lot in Kharkiv, killing six people and injuring 15, regional governor Oleg Syniehubov said. 

People were waiting outside a post office in the mall to receive humanitarian aid, Syniehubov added. 

Video of the incident, which has been geolocated by CNN, shows people attending to several apparent casualties in the parking lot. 

Debris can be seen scattered across the area. 

Photos taken at the scene also show what appears to be a rocket embedded in the road. 

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield addresses the United Nations General Assembly during a special session at the UN headquarters on March 23.

The United Nations General Assembly has again delivered a resounding diplomatic blow to Russia, with an overwhelming vote calling for Russia to stop its war on Ukraine, plus more protection of civilians.

There were 140 countries in favor, five opposed and 38 abstentions on a resolution sponsored by the United States and nearly two dozen other countries. A few weeks ago, 141 countries backed a resolution deploring Russia’s invasion.

While non-binding, General Assembly resolutions do carry political weight.

On Wednesday, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told UN General Assembly member countries that by voting in favor of the resolution, which calls in part for an immediate cessation of hostilities by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, they are “voting for an end to the war.”

The General Assembly heard speeches on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine on Wednesday and Thursday.

China's United Nations Ambassador Zhang Jun speaks during an emergency session of the General Assembly at the UN headquarters on Thursday.

China’s United Nations Ambassador Zhang Jun told UN General Assembly member countries that the humanitarian situation in Ukraine is becoming increasingly serious, but that countries should not force others to “choose a side” in the conflict. 

“The development of the situation in Ukraine to the present stage has triggered broad international concerns, and it is also something China does not want to see. On Ukraine, China has always maintained that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected,” Zhang said in translated remarks on Thursday.

Zhang added that China will play “a constructive role in facilitating peace talks.”

The General Assembly is hearing speeches on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. Ukraine’s resolution in the General Assembly condemns Russia for not allowing access for humanitarian aid is backed by more than 20 countries, including the United States. On Wednesday, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told UN General Assembly member countries that by voting in favor of the resolution which calls in part for an immediate cessation of hostilities by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, they are “voting for an end to the war.”

Zhang said Thursday China recognizes the purpose of the draft resolution. “At the same time, it is clear that some elements of the draft resolution go beyond the humanitarian context,” he said.

General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, but they carry political weight.

On Wednesday, China and Russia were the only countries to vote in favor of a UN Security Council draft resolution proposed by Russia on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, which failed to pass in the United Nations Security Council. Thomas-Greenfield spoke ahead of that vote, stating that Russia was once again trying to use the Security Council to “provide cover for its brutal actions.” 

Speaking ahead of the UNGA vote Thursday, Zhang said, “Legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously and all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the crisis should be supported.”

“It is heart-wrenching to see the continued deterioration of humanitarian situation in Ukraine, as well as the civilian casualties and massive displacement of people caused by the conflict. The top priority now is for the parties concerned to maintain maximum restraints, avoid more civilian casualties, and reach a negotiated ceasefire as soon as possible, especially to prevent a larger-scale humanitarian crisis,” he added.

Destruction near a church in the town of Izyum, Ukraine is seen in this recent Facebook video.

As Russia attempts to link advances made in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine with its stronghold in the far east of the country, the city of Izyum has found itself caught up in terrible fighting, a local official said. 

Council deputy Max Strelnyk told CNN the town had been “completely destroyed” by Russian aircraft and artillery, even as fierce battles continued inside Izyum for control of the ground. 

Strelnyk said Russian troops occupied the northern part of the town and were attempting to cross the Seversky Donets River — which makes a U-shape as it runs through the town — to take the southern part as well, currently held by Ukrainian armed forces. 

CNN has previously reported that much of central Izyum has been destroyed by military strikes. 

“Unfortunately, we cannot say the exact number of dead [in the town],” Strelnyk said, but he estimated “more than a hundred” people had been killed in the fighting. 

He said Russian forces had already destroyed the hospital and the morgue. 

“The town is under complete blockade,” he said.  

“Russian troops will not let anyone in or out,” he added, meaning humanitarian aid is unable to reach the town.

“There is no food, water or medicine,” he said, describing the situation as a humanitarian catastrophe. 

It’s been a month since Russian troops invaded Ukraine, and despite making some rapid early gains, their advancement on some key cities, including the capital of Kyiv, has slowed.

While there’s a growing picture that Russia’s assault on Ukraine has not gone to plan, the country continues to use its air power to obliterate cities and target civilians to push Ukraine into submission.

So where is this war going? Here are a few things to watch out for in the coming weeks.

Russia could intensify its bombing campaign

Experts are warning that the more Russia takes a hit on the ground, the more likely it is to intensify its aerial bombing campaign and the use of other “standoff” weapons that put Russian soldiers in less danger.

There is little reliable information coming out of either Ukraine or Russia on death tolls, but a report in a Russian tabloid on Monday suggested that the Russian side had lost nearly 10,000 soldiers and that another 16,000 had been injured.

The Komsomolskaya Pravda website removed the numbers later in the day, claiming the numbers only appeared in the first place because it had been hacked. CNN could not verify the numbers, but the death toll is closer to what US intelligence agencies have been reporting.

And in the region of southern Mykolaiv, local authorities are mulling what do with hundreds of Russian corpses.

Such losses, if proven to be true, would explain both the stall in ground movement and the uptick in aerial bombing of key cities and other standoff attacks. A senior US defense official, for example, said Russia has begun firing on the southern city of Mariupol from ships in the Sea of Azov.

“Russia still has capabilities and reserves, and there’s going to be an uptick in intensity as it makes an effort to bring in more troops,” Jeffrey Mankoff, a distinguished research fellow at the US National Defense University’s Institute for National Strategic Studies, told CNN.

Russia may try to encircle Ukrainian fighters in the east

There is a lot of talk about the Russian war effort stalling, but whether or not that’s true comes down to what Moscow’s objectives were in the first place. And even that’s hard to know for sure, as the country’s public justification for its invasion is clear propaganda, as evidenced by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s call for the “denazification of Ukraine,” for example.

It’s likely that Russia is, at the very least, trying to absorb parts of eastern Ukraine. Areas like Donetsk and Luhansk, which make up the Donbas region, have been controlled by Russian-backed separatists since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea, and while Russia’s ambitions may stretch beyond Donbas, it’s still likely a central focus, experts say.

While there is a lot of attention on Russia’s push toward Kyiv, most of the Ukrainian army remains near Donetsk and Luhansk, where they are grouped as the Joint Forces Operation. The movement of Russian troops suggest they are trying to encircle the JFO on three axes, and this is likely to be Russia’s main focus. That’s clear by looking at the sophistication of the kind of troops being sent there, said Sam Cranny-Evans, a research analyst with the Royal United Services Institute.

“The Southern Military District — in Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol, Berdyansk, Melitopol — these are the best troops in the Russian army. And they always work. They’re designed to fight NATO,” Cranny-Evans told CNN.

Read the full story here:

Gutted cars following a night air raid in the village of Bushiv, 40 kilometers west of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, March 4, 2022. Russia's war on Ukraine is now in its ninth day and Russian forces have shelled Europe's largest nuclear power plant, sparking a fire there that was extinguished overnight. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Related article 5 things that could happen in Ukraine next

Pope Francis looks on during an audience for the Choirs of Antoniano, on March 19 at the Vatican.

Pope Francis has issued strong criticism against countries for increasing military spending as Russia’s onslaught of Ukraine continues, branding it “madness.” 

Speaking on Thursday to an audience with the Italian Women’s Center in Rome, the Pope blamed the “shameful” war in Ukraine on the “old logic of power that still dominates the so-called geopolitics.”

He dismissed sanctions and weapons as a solution to the conflict and said the world should redesign its way of governing so that it is not subject to “economic-technocratic-military power.”

“The real answer … is not other weapons, other sanctions, other political-military alliances, but another approach, a different way of governing the now globalized world — not showing the teeth, as now — one way different than set international relations. The model of treatment is already in place, thank God, but unfortunately it is still subject to that of the economic-technocratic-military power,” the Pope said.

As Russia’s invasion in Ukraine enters its second month, the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has come into focus.

Earlier Thursday, NATO’s leaders met for an emergency summit in Brussels and are expected to announce new sanctions against Russia as well as other measures to help bolster Ukraine’s defenses. What they won’t do, however, is what Ukraine’s president has repeatedly asked: Enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine. US and NATO officials have repeatedly said that such a move would risk provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin and sparking a wider war with Russia. 

A discussion of NATO’s force posture along its eastern edge was also part of the last-minute diplomatic burst. And leaders conferred on what to do if Russia deploys a chemical, biological or even nuclear weapon, a prospect causing increasing concern as the war reaches a stalemate. In a statement afterward, US President Joe Biden said NATO was “as strong and united as it has ever been.”

But what is NATO and who is in it? NATO is a European and North American defense alliance set up to promote peace and stability and to safeguard the security of its members. It was created as the Cold War escalated and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

The aim of the United States-led alliance was to protect Western European countries from the threat posed by the Soviet Union and to counter the spread of Communism after World War II.

Twelve founding countries — the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and eight other European nations — signed the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949, pledging to protect each other by political and military means.

Over the decades since, the alliance has grown to include a total of 30 members.

In alphabetical order, they are:

Ukraine is not a member of NATO, but has long hoped to join the alliance. This is a sore point for Russia, which sees NATO as a threat and vehemently opposes the move.

NATO is currently led by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, whose term was extended by another year on Thursday. Stoltenberg reinforced NATO’s position in a response to the decision, saying, “As we face the biggest security crisis in a generation, we stand united to keep our Alliance strong and our people safe.”

According to a western official who was present for Biden’s remarks to leaders during the NATO summit, he made a reference to his US presidential predecessor when making the case for allies to increase their defense spending. While it’s not clear if Biden mentioned former President Donald Trump by name, Biden did implore the leaders to add to their defense budgets during this moment of crisis, but asked that they “don’t mistake” him for his predecessor, who Biden said didn’t treat the NATO allies very well, the official said. The White House declined to comment.

Read more about NATO here.

CNN’s Natasha Bertrand contributed reporting to this post.

Footage of a firefight that surfaced on social media earlier this week appears to show an unusual group of combatants: Apparent Chechen volunteers fighting on the side of Ukraine against Russia.

CNN has geolocated and verified the authenticity of the video, which shows an RPG gunner at work amid an intense fusillade in the village of Velyka Dymerka, roughly 18 miles northeast of Kyiv.

This isn’t the only evidence of Chechens fighting in Ukraine. On Wednesday, Ramzan Kadyrov, the pro-Kremlin leader of the Chechen Republic — a region in Russia’s north Caucasus — posted a video of Chechen units engaged in street fighting against Ukrainian forces in the besieged port city of Mariupol.

In a commentary on his Telegram account, Kadyrov boasted that the Chechen commander on the scene who was being interviewed by the Russian daily Izvestiya had maintained heroic calm under fire.

“During the interview, a tank shell flew into the five-story building behind the back of the unsuspecting Timur Ibriev and exploded,” Kadyrov wrote. “A fragment hit one of the fighters, but got stuck in a weapon belt. The camera captured the Olympian calm and restraint of my dear BROTHER Timur. He didn’t flinch, he didn’t duck. You are proud of such cold-blooded and brave fighters!”

Telegram is Kadyrov’s preferred propaganda outlet: Since the launch of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine one month ago, Kadryrov has posted a stream of videos from the front lines crowing about the prowess of the Chechen soldiers fighting on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also claimed to have been in Ukraine, just outside the capital — an assertion Ukrainian officials cast doubt on, prompting irate Telegram posts from Kadyrov.

Just days into the war, Kadyrov even urged the Russian military to take the gloves off and expand its offensive in Ukraine.

There are several levels of irony here. Images of the devastated city of Mariupol are eerily reminiscent of Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, which was leveled by Russian forces in a brutal war that went through two phases in the mid-1990s and the early 2000s. And Kadyrov himself was once a guerrilla who fought against Russia before switching sides.

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FILE PHOTO: Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov addresses service members while making a statement, dedicated to a military conflict in Ukraine, in Grozny, Russia February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Chingis Kondarov NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES/File Photo

Related article Chechens are fighting in Ukraine. But are they more hype than help for Vladimir Putin?

As US President Joe Biden meets with NATO and European allies in Brussels on Thursday, the US Treasury Department officially announced a slew of new sanctions against hundreds of members of the Russian State Duma, dozens of Russian defense companies, and the CEO of Sberbank, which is Russia’s largest financial institution. 

US officials previewed the upcoming announcement to reporters earlier this week. 

Today’s announcement will sanction 328 members of the 450-seat Russian State Duma, the lower level of the two-tiered Russian Parliament, cut off 48 Russian defense and material companies from Western technology and financing, as well as sanction Herman Gref — the head of Sberbank — who has worked with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the 1990s when both men were employed in the mayor’s office of St. Petersburg. 

Long-time Putin associate Gennady Timchenko — plus his companies, family members and yacht — have also been sanctioned, as well as 17 board members of Russian financial institution Sovcombank, according to the White House. 

The Treasury Department sanctioned 12 members of the Duma earlier this month for their calls to recognize the Russian-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, which precipitated Russia’s invasion. Today’s measures will also sanction the State Duma as an institution, according to the department.

“The Russian State Duma continues to support Putin’s invasion, stifle the free flow of information, and infringe on the basic rights of the citizens of Russia. We call on those closest to Putin to cease and condemn this cold-blooded war,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a written statement. 

Does this name sound familiar? One of the Duma members sanctioned today includes Maria Butina, who studied at American University in the US and pleaded guilty in 2018 to conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government after she tried to infiltrate conservative political groups, including the National Rifle Association. Butina was the first Russian citizen convicted of crimes relating to the 2016 election, although her efforts seemed to be separate from the sweeping election-meddling outlined in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

After her release in 2019, Butina returned to Russia and got involved in politics, and she is now serving as a member of the Duma. 

Ukraine’s Armed Forces say Russia is transferring weapons and other military equipment to Belarus.  

It says the deployments are part of renewed Russian plans to mount an offensive aimed at encircling the capital of Kyiv. 

Russian forces are also building-up equipment supplies in Crimea, the Ukrainian army added in a statement Thursday afternoon.

In an upbeat assessment of Ukraine’s success in withstanding Russia’s invading forces thus far, the statement went on:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is once again addressing world leaders by videoconference, this time during the G7 leaders’ meeting.

These are the leaders attending the meeting, according to the White House:

US administration officials are also in attendance:

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses a press conference at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on March 24.

NATO will reinforce its chemical, biological and nuclear defense systems on fears Russia is planning to use such weapons against the people of Ukraine, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday. 

The concerns stem from “absolutely false” Russian “rhetoric” that the United States, NATO allies and Ukraine are preparing to use biological weapons, Stoltenberg said.

“We’ve seen before that this way of accusing others is actually a way to try to create a pretext to do the same themselves.”

Before he spoke, NATO leaders issued a joint statement vowing to “enhance our preparedness and readiness for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats,” adding “further decisions” will be taken at the next NATO summit, scheduled for this summer in Madrid. 

“Any use by Russia of a chemical or biological weapon would be unacceptable and result in severe consequences,” the statement added.

The civilian death toll in Ukraine has exceeded 1,000 since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said Thursday — warning that “the actual figures are considerably higher.”

“Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes,” according to the OHCHR.

In a statement, the UN body detailed the 1,035 civilian deaths as “214 men, 160 women, 14 girls, and 28 boys, as well as 48 children and 571 adults whose sex is yet unknown.”

It added that at least 1,650 civilians have been injured since the start of the invasion.

In the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, the OHCHR has recorded 311 civilian deaths and 857 civilians injured. In other regions, including the city of Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Zhytomyr regions, 724 civilians have been killed and 793 injured.

“OHCHR believes that the actual figures are considerably higher, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration. This concerns, for example, Mariupol and Volnovakha (Donetsk region), Izium (Kharkiv region), Sievierodonetsk and Rubizhne (Luhansk region), and Trostianets (Sumy region), where there are allegations of numerous civilian casualties,” it said.

Two Ukrainian Air Force pilots trained by the US, who go by the names Moonfish and Juice to protect their identities, told CNN that Russian forces “have control of very little part of Ukrainian sky.”

He said that reinforcements from Western countries would be a boon to Ukrainian forces.

Juice said they need more jets and more advanced technology.

“The first problem is … the number of jet[s],” he said.

“Unfortunately, Russian Air Force gets an advantage in technologies. So using this baby [referring to his plane], I’m not efficient. … We need something more advanced, something modern” to push Russians further from the front lines, he said.

Watch the interview:

A Russia 24 TV channel anchor interrupted a live interview on Thursday to broadcast pre-taped footage of the country’s National Security Council operational meeting, which included Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who hasn’t been seen in over a week. The broadcaster, however, did not say when the meeting took place.  

The anchor quoted Russia’s presidential spokesperson Dmitriy Peskov, suggesting Shoigu was giving a report on the so-called “Ukrainian military operation” remotely. The footage did not show Shoigu speak, but his image appeared on screen among other video call participants reporting to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Shoigu, a close ally of Putin, has not been seen lately despite having a leading role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Some Russian media reports have speculated that he could have health problems.

The Kremlin spokesman previously dismissed Shoigu’s lack of public presence by saying he “has a lot on his plate at the moment.” Speaking to CNN on Thursday, Peskov also refused to comment on an independent investigation into Defence Ministry sources leaking information about Shoigu’s health problems.  

Shoigu last appeared in a Channel One broadcast on March 18, which the Russian outlet said was from that day. But Russian journalists have speculated that the event being broadcast was from March 11.

US President Joe Biden is meeting with the G7 to discuss new sanctions and other actions to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

At the start of the meeting the leaders stood for a family photo, but did not otherwise engage with the press as the talks got underway.

Biden was seen sitting down at a round table and opening his notebooks as the meeting began. He walked in alongside British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, talks with US President Joe Biden ahead of a G7 summit in Brussels, Belgium, on March 24.

Some background: The G7 is shorthand for Group of Seven, an organization of leaders from some of the world’s largest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US.

Russia was indefinitely suspended from the group — which was at the time known as the G8 — in 2014 after the majority of member countries allied against its annexation of Crimea. It was the first violation of a European country’s borders since World War II.

U.S. President Joe Biden attends a North Atlantic Council meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on March 24.

US President Joe Biden in a statement said that the NATO alliance remains “as strong and united as it has ever been” and vowed continued support for Ukraine following Thursday’s NATO summit in Brussels. 

Biden noted that the leaders were able to hear from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky via videoconference and said in the statement that NATO and the United States will “continue to support him and his government with significant, and increasing, amounts of security assistance to fight Russian aggression and uphold their right to self-defense.”

The United States said Thursday it would provide more than $1 billion in humanitarian assistance for people affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The funds will help provide food, shelter, clean water, medical supplies and other assistance, the White House said.

The money comes as US President Joe Biden meets with European leaders and works to determine the next phase of the response to Russia’s war.

In addition, the White House said it would stand up a $320 million fund meant to bolster democracy in countries bordering the European Union, including funding for human rights, independent media and anti-corruption initiatives.

Left to right: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Joe Biden, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi and European Council President Charles Michel pose for a G7 leaders' family photograph during a NATO summit at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on March 24.

The G7 leaders just took a family photo in Brussels ahead of an emergency summit to discuss Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden is expected to speak soon to the group.

Andriy, a 15-year-old Ukrainian teen from Chernihiv, escaped his city after being forced from his home and then drove over what he thinks was a land mine, he told CNN.

He said he was screaming and couldn’t walk. Villagers who heard the explosion brought him to safety.

His mother burned to death.

Andriy started crying when asked about his mother, saying it is “very difficult” for his family.

“I want you to know my mother was a very beautiful woman,” he said via a translator.

The northern city of Chernihiv has seen some of the most intense shelling since Russia invaded Ukraine a month ago. Badly damaged buildings line rubble-strewn streets, while still-burning fires fill the air with heavy smoke, as seen in a new video from Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko.

“It’s very hard to look what going on with my city,” he added, saying that he’ll go back once the war ends. 

Andriy said he wants to “distance myself from this war,” then played a song on his guitar for Berman.

Watch the interview:

The United States is still opposed to providing fighter jets to Ukraine after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made another appeal to NATO leaders on Thursday. 

A senior US official tells CNN the US position has not changed on the matter. 

During a video address on Thursday, Zelensky asked NATO for “one percent of all your planes,” later adding, “you have thousands of fighter jets, but we have not been given one yet.”

Previously, US officials said they opposed providing fighter jets to Ukraine because it could be viewed by Russian President Vladimir Putin as an escalatory step. 

A Ukrainian family wait with their luggage before being allowed to cross the San Ysidro Port of Entry into the United States to seek asylum on March 22, in Tijuana, Mexico.

The United States will welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russia’s aggression, a senior administration official announced Thursday.

“To meet this commitment, we are considering the full range of legal pathways to the United States,” the official said, which includes US refugee admissions program, parole and immigrant and nonimmigrant visas.

The official said the White House will not have to ask Congress to expand the current cap on annual refugees — which is currently set at 125,000 for fiscal year 2022 — because it is more a “long-term commitment” and there will be other avenues to enter the United States for many of those Ukrainians.

“We still have a significant capacity within the 125,000 so we don’t currently envision the need to go beyond that,” the official said.

The official said that the administration is working to expand and develop new programs with “a focus on welcoming Ukrainians who have family members in the United States.”

There will be an emphasis on protecting the most vulnerable among the refugee populations, including members of the LGBTQI+ community, those with medical needs, journalists and third country nationals.

“By opening our country to these individuals, we will help relieve some of the pressure on the European host countries that are currently shouldering so much of the responsibility,” the official added.

The Central Bank of the Russian Federation building, in Moscow, Russia, on September 10, 2013.

The United States on Thursday will announce new sanctions against over 300 members of the Russian Duma and more than 40 Russian defense companies, a senior administration official told reporters. 

The official added that the EU and G7 will also announce a new sanctions evasion initiative that’s “designed to prevent circumvention or backfilling” of sanctions.

Asked by CNN’s Phil Mattingly for examples of the sanctions evasion initiative, a senior administration official said, in part, it will blunt the Central Bank of Russia’s ability to deploy international reserves by making clear that any transaction involving gold is prohibited — which prevents the ruble from being propped up.

Asked about the expected joint energy strategy that is expected to be announced Friday, administration officials wouldn’t go into detail but said “it’s something we’ve been working on for some time and I think it’s going to be a meaningful step forward in terms of accelerating Europe’s diversification away from Russian gas.”

As Russian soldiers bear down on Ukraine, increasingly desperate Ukrainians are running out of food and medicine. The economic fallout from the invasion is beginning to spill over to the rest of the world, too.

Forecasts for global growth are being slashed and the chance of a US recession in 2023 has risen to 35%, according to Goldman Sachs.

But war in Europe is no longer a theoretical, off-in-the-future concern for economists to discuss in research papers and notes to investors. It’s tangible. It’s here. And it’s causing pain for millions.

Sanctions and other supply-chain disruptions have sent consumer prices surging across the world as oil and other commodity prices have spiked. Soaring gas and diesel prices are also adding to the cost of food, heightening fears that the world is on the brink of a hunger crisis.

France’s government is considering food vouchers to help residents afford to eat. A commodities trading company said diesel is in such short supply it may soon have to be rationed.

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People are seen waiting in line for food at a temporary handout point set up near the Central Station in Warsaw, Poland on March 18, 2022. Poland has taken in over 1.5 million refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of their country since February 24, 2022. In Warsaw alone, the population has grown by nearly 20 percent as a result of the influx of refugees. The pressure on resources has prompted the mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski, to request support from the EU and the UN.

Related article Gas rationing, food vouchers and hunger: Economic pain from Russia's war is getting real

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses via video link a meeting of the Extraordinary Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government held in Brussels, Belgium, on March 24.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has told the NATO leaders meeting in Brussels that Ukraine needs just a fraction of the alliance’s combined firepower. 

“You have thousands of fighter jets, but we have not been given one yet …  we turned [to you] for tanks so that we can unblock our cities … you have at least 20,000 tanks … but we do not have a clear answer yet,” Zelensky said. 

He appealed to leaders to make the necessary decisions to make it happen. 

“We can’t just buy [these items]. Such a supply depends directly on NATO’s decisions, on political decisions,” Zelensky said. 

He also said NATO leaders should acknowledge what Ukraine’s armed forces have demonstrated in the war against Russia. 

“Please, never tell us again that our army does not meet NATO standards. We have shown what standards we can reach. And we have shown how much we can give to the common security of Europe and the world,” Zelensky said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and U.S. President Joe Biden, center, listen as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses a North Atlantic Council meeting during an extraordinary summit at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on March 24.

Historic, emergency summits are underway in Brussels as US President Joe Biden works to rally the West behind a strategy to confront Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. 

What’s happening this morning:

 What to expect later today:

What leaders won’t do:

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(From R) Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, France's President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden talk as they arrive at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on March 24, 2022. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / POOL / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Western leaders set for critical day of summits as they ready the next phase of their response to Russia-Ukraine war

Qatar will stand “in solidarity with Europe” and will not divert gas contracts to other customers, even if it means losing on possible financial gains, Qatari Energy Minister Saad Al Kaabi told CNN’s Becky Anderson in an exclusive interview on Thursday. 

The energy-rich Gulf monarchy supplies some European countries with gas in the form of divertible contracts, which means they are able to divert supply across to other customers. 

Still, the minister rejected imposing sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, saying “energy should stay out of politics” and reiterated that completely stopping Russian gas supply to Europe is “not practically possible.” The minister also said that his nation is not “choosing sides” in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

Earlier this week, top German officials, including Economy Minister Robert Habeck, visited Qatar for talks on supplying long-term gas to Europe in the midst of Russian energy uncertainty. Reports surfaced of a deal between Qatar and Germany on gas supply; however, the Qatari minister denied that a deal had been reached. 

“We have not agreed a long-term agreement with Germany yet, but we’re willing to discuss with the companies that we have been discussing to put a long-term agreement in place potentially. This is a commercial agreement between commercial entities,” Al Kaabi said. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates last week in an attempt to sway both nations into increasing oil supply into the market despite a deal with Russia capping oil supply. The two countries have spare capacity to possibly ease a global oil deficit, but both gulf nations have so far remained committed to the OPEC+ deal with Russia — even after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Qatar, which withdrew from OPEC in 2019 after a diplomatic rift with its neighboring countries said they are not planning on returning to the cartel. Al Kaabi, however, still supported supply moves by the organization, calling their plan “very sensible.”

United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Warsaw, Poland, on 18 March.

Senior Russian military leaders have declined calls from their US counterparts since before the invasion of Ukraine began, the Pentagon spokesman said Thursday.

“Over the past month, Secretary Austin and Chairman Milley have sought, and continue to seek, calls with their Russian counterparts. Minister Shoigu and General Gerasimov have so far declined to engage. We continue to believe that engagement between U.S. and Russian defense leaders is critically important at this time,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement. 

CNN has previously reported that the last known time Austin last spoke with Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu was on February 18. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley last spoke to the Chief of Russian General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov on February 11.

The United States plans to accept up to 100,000 refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, a person familiar with the decision says – a major step toward easing a brewing humanitarian crisis in Europe.

President Joe Biden was expected to unveil the decision as he travels in Europe to rally support behind a united approach to the crisis.

Leaders from Poland in particular have called on the US to expedite the processing of refugees with family in the US.

More than 3.6 million people have now fled Ukraine, according to the latest update from the UN Refugee Agency.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses via video link a meeting of the Extraordinary Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government held in Brussels, Belgium, on March 24.

Leaders attending a closed-door snap NATO summit heard an impassioned call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for new Western security assistance, according to a senior US administration official who heard the remarks.

The Ukrainian leader stopped short of issuing his usual calls for a no-fly zone or NATO membership. But Zelensky in a virtual address spoke “very eloquently” to describe his military’s efforts to defend Ukrainian citizens and democratic values, the official said.

The virtual address from Zelensky kicked off the summit, which is taking place in private. US President Joe Biden spoke next, laying out the coordinated Western approach on sanctions, reiterating strong support for Ukraine and reinforcing US commitment to NATO.

Biden “laid out a number of issues that the alliance is going to have to grapple with” in the coming months before the NATO alliance meets again at the end of June in Spain, the official said.

That includes finalizing force posture changes on NATO’s eastern flank.

The mood inside the NATO summit was “sober, resolute, and incredibly united,” the official said.

Other topics that arose included China, and a collective desire to avoid Beijing supporting Russia in its invasion.

And leaders discussed contingencies should Russia use a chemical or nuclear weapon on the battlefield in Ukraine.

“I think there is a recognition that NATO needs to continue a lot of the good ongoing work to be prepared to respond to various contingencies,” the official said.

A residential building which was damaged as a result of a missile attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine on March 23.

As Russia’s assault on Ukraine enters its fifth week, Kharkiv’s governor, Oleh Synehubov, has given an indication of the toll it is taking on the city and surrounding areas. 

Synehubov reported there had been 44 shellings from artillery, tanks and mortars, as well as 140 multiple-launch rocket attacks in the northeastern region of Ukraine, over the course of the last day. 

“This is what we call a stable situation,” he said on Thursday.   

On Wednesday, Kharkiv officials reported some 998 residential buildings had been damaged or destroyed since the start of Russia’s offensive. 

Synehubov’s comments also included a reminder of the importance of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet to Putin’s offensive against Ukraine’s key cities. 

The center of Kharkiv – which lies about 310 miles (500km) from the sea – was struck overnight by cruise missiles fired from Russian warships, Synehubov reported.

His comments come as Russian forces are becoming more active in the eastern part of Ukraine in the Donbas area, saying they’ve “applied a lot more energy” in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, the two areas the Kremlin declared as independent republics ahead of last month’s invasion.

CNN’s Ellie Kaufman and Jeremy Herb contributed reporting to this post.

New footage shows the extent of destruction in some cities caused by Russia’s month-long invasion of Ukraine, as Western leaders gather in Brussels to conduct extraordinary sessions of NATO, the European Council and the G7.

Destruction in Ukraine: It’s been exactly one month since Russia invaded Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling for worldwide demonstrations to mark the date.

The mayor of Chernihiv said the northern Ukrainian city’s cemetery cannot handle all the dead. Badly damaged buildings line rubble-strewn streets, while still-burning fires fill the air with heavy smoke, as seen in a video from Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko.

New videos from Mariupol show the desolation of the besieged Ukrainian city, with deserted, debris-filled streets, blown-out cars and destroyed buildings.

The first videos and images have emerged from the city of Izyum, showing widespread destruction, charred and bombed-out buildings, and bodies left in the streets. The Russian military claims to have taken control of the city, which the Ukrainians deny.

Meanwhile, a large Russian ship was destroyed in the Russian-occupied port of Berdyansk in southeastern Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Navy on Thursday. CNN could not confirm the Navy’s claim, although social media videos appear to show a large fire with secondary explosions in the port. And Ukrainian forces have pushed Russian forces back on the frontlines around Kyiv, a senior US defense official told reporters Wednesday.

Refugees: More than 2 million Ukrainian refugees have crossed into Poland since Russian forces invaded Ukraine a month ago, which is “the fastest displacement crisis we’ve seen since the Second World War,” according to the International Rescue Committee.

One in every two Ukrainian children has been displaced since Russia began its invasion on February 24, according to the UN Children’s Fund.

The US plans to accept up to 100,000 refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, a person familiar with the decision said.

Summits underway: Announcements on new sanctions, NATO force posture and military assistance are all expected as part of the diplomatic burst, according to US and European officials. What they won’t do is what Zelensky has repeatedly asked: Enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Zelensky is expected to address NATO leaders virtually.

The NATO session currently underway was expected to focus partly on what to do if Russia deploys a chemical, biological, or even nuclear weapon.

Russian leadership: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dodged CNN questions about the health of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and confirmed that longstanding government insider Anatoly Chubais quit his job as President Vladimir Putin’s climate envoy.##Catch Up##

The mayor of the Russian-occupied city of Kherson, Ihor Kolykhaiev, in southern Ukraine, has posted photographs of a long Ukrainian flag draped down the wall of the city hall.

Russian forces are normally stationed at the city hall but don’t appear to have intervened.

There have been several protests by Ukrainian civilians in the square where the building is located since Russian forces moved into Kherson.

The photographs show workers on a crane mounting the new flag.

“On the night when the city council was shelled, the wire which held our national flag was damaged. And the flag itself should have been replaced a long time ago – it had faded and frayed,” Kolykhaiev said in a Facebook post.

“Today we found a way to replace it. Have a nice day, my Hero City,” Kolykhaiev added.

Kherson, a key port city on the Black Sea, in southern Ukraine, was overrun by Russian forces on March 2, after days of heavy bombardment and shelling. 

People living in Kherson have described days of terror confined to their apartments and houses, fearful to go outside for even basic necessities – their city now a dystopian shell of the home they knew and loved.

CNN’s Tamara Qiblawi and Gianluca Mezzofiore contributed reporting to this post.

Russia’s MOEX stock index has closed the session higher after partially reopening for the first time in almost a month.

It ended 4% higher after a shortened trading day, and was at one point trading up 10%.

The Moscow Stock Exchange last traded on February 25 after shares plunged in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia. The MOEX index had lost roughly 35% of its value this year, while the RTS index – which is denominated in dollars – plunged 42%.

On Wednesday, the central bank of Russia said trading in 33 Russian stocks would resume today at 2:50 a.m. Eastern Time (9:50 a.m. local time), including major companies such as Gazprom, Lukoil, Rosneft, VTB Bank and Sberbank.

The central bank has brought in measures to support stocks, including blocking foreign investors from selling their shares and banning short selling. It has also brought in currency controls, limiting the amount of foreign currency people can take out of Russia.

This morning the White House criticized the move to reopen, calling it a charade and a “Potemkin market opening” that will obscure the dire effects of western economic sanctions.

“Russia has made clear they are going to pour government resources into artificially propping up the shares of companies that are trading,” deputy national security adviser Daleep Singh wrote in a statement.

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A man walks past the Moscow's stock market building in downtown Moscow on February 28, 2022. - Russia's central bank announced on February 28, 2022 it was raising its key interest rate to 20 percent from 9.5 percent as the West pummelled the country with sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Natalia KOLESNIKOVA / AFP) (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Russia's stock market reopens after month-long closure

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister has urged Europe to ignore Russia’s insistence that payment for future deliveries of Russian gas will need to be made in rubles.

The announcement from Moscow is seen as an attempt to get European countries to prop up Russia’s currency, the value of which has fallen significantly since the start of the war.

It is also a reminder of the importance of Russia’s energy supplies as a bargaining chip in relations between the Kremlin and the West.

“If any EU country bows to Putin’s humiliating demands to pay for oil and gas in rubles, it will be like helping Ukraine with one hand and helping Russians kill Ukrainians with the other,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet.

“I urge relevant countries to make a wise and responsible choice.”

Some background: The West has imposed heavy sanctions on Russia since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine a month ago. However, Europe depends heavily on Russian gas for heating and power generation and the European Union is split on whether to sanction Russia’s energy sector.

Putin’s message was clear: If you want our gas, buy our currency. It remained unclear whether Russia has the power to unilaterally change existing contracts agreed upon in euros.

Meanwhile: Russia’s stock market opened for the first time in a month on Thursday as investors took part in a highly restricted trading session. The benchmark MOEX index gained as much as 10% in early trade in Moscow. 

The French Foreign Ministry has promised 500,000 euros ($548,715) of financing to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to support the investigation into crimes committed in Ukraine, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

France will also be providing magistrates, investigators and experts, “to make sure the prosecutor can lead his investigation in the best possible conditions,” according to the statement.

The statement added that French Minister of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti will be encouraging other states to increase their support to the ICC in a meeting of justice ministers in The Hague on Thursday.

The ICC opened an investigation on March 2 into alleged crimes committed in the context of the situation in Ukraine since 21 November 2013, when hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets of Kyiv to protest former President Viktor Yanukovych’s U-turn over a trade pact with the European Union that had been years in the making.

The US government on Wednesday formally declared that members of the Russian armed forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine.

“Today, I can announce that, based on information currently available, the US government assesses that members of Russia’s forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine,”  US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

“Our assessment is based on a careful review of available information from public and intelligence sources,” he added.

CNN’s Antonia Mortensen, Jennifer Hansler and Jeremy Herb contributed reporting to this post.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday dodged CNN questions about the health of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who has not been seen in public in nearly a week, if not more.

“The Defense Minister has a lot on his plate at the moment,” Peskov said when CNN asked about Shoigu’s absence.

When asked by CNN if he could disprove a report by the independent investigative Russian outlet Agentnstvo citing anonymous sources in the ministry as saying Shoigu has health problems, Peskov declined to do so.

“I can’t. You shouldn’t listen to the Agenstvo media outlet. Please address [these questions to] the Ministry of Defense.”

Shoigu appeared in a Channel One broadcast on March 18, which the Russian outlet said was from that day, but Russian journalists have speculated that the event being broadcast was from March 11.

However, Peskov denied any knowledge of Chubais’ reported opposition to the invasion of Ukraine and said it’s unlikely President Vladimir Putin would have “reacted in any way” to the resignation.

“After all, let’s not forget that he [Chubais] was not a full-time employee, he was working on a voluntary basis,” said Peskov. “He was not a direct employee of the presidential administration.”

Peskov also confirmed that a resignation letter would have to be sent to Putin himself.

Chubais first rose to prominence as former President Boris Yeltsin’s finance minister in the 1990s before going on to hold powerful posts in the Russian energy industry.

He quit his job as Putin’s special envoy on the environment on Wednesday, making him the highest-profile Kremlin figure to resign since the war began a month ago.

The United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced further sanctions against Russian and Belarusian citizens and companies on Thursday, targeting “key industries supporting Russia’s illegal invasion.”

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss arrives at Downing Street on March 8, in London, England.

The latest sanctions target 65 individuals and entities, including six banks, Russian Railways, a defense company and the Wagner Group, a secretive Russian military contractor thought to be connected to – and financed by – Yevgeny Prigozhin, an oligarch so close to the Kremlin that he is known as President Vladimir Putin’s “chef.”

The newly sanctioned individuals include oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler, Tinkoff bank founder Oleg Tinkov, and Herman Gref, the CEO of Russia’s largest bank Sberbank.

The latest announcement also sees the Russian-installed mayor of Melitopol sanctioned. It is the first time an individual has been sanctioned for collaboration with Russian forces currently in Ukraine, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said.

More than 1,000 individuals and entities have now been sanctioned, according to the FCDO.

The latest asset freezes bring the global asset value of sanctioned banks, now including Russia’s largest private bank Alfa-Bank, to £500 billion ($658 billion). The net worth of oligarchs and family members sanctioned is in excess of £150 billion, the FCDO said.

More is likely to come from the United States and its allies. US President Joe Biden is in Europe on a high-stakes trip that includes meetings with EU, NATO and G7 leaders. He hopes to emerge from an intensive day of meetings Thursday with some new actions to announce alongside his partners: fresh sanctions on Russia, steps to cut off its oil and gas profits, or new announcements of military or financial assistance to Ukraine.

Sanctions already announced by the West against Russian oligarchs and Russia’s central bank mean that the country’s economy will be isolated for years. It is facing its deepest recession since the 1990s, and gross domestic product will plummet 22% over 2022, according to a forecast published by S&P Global Market Intelligence on Tuesday.

CNN’s Charles Riley and Kevin Liptak contributed reporting to this post.

Smoke rises after shelling near a seaport in Berdyansk, Ukraine, on March 24.

The port of Berdyansk in southern Ukraine was rocked by a series of heavy explosions soon after dawn on Thursday. The port had recently been occupied by Russian forces and several Russian warships were docked there.

Social media videos showed fires raging at the dockside with a series of secondary explosions reverberating across the city.

On Friday Ukraine’s armed forces named the Russian ship they said they attacked and destroyed in Berdiansk as the “Saratov.” In earlier reporting, the ship was named as the “Orsk.”

Several Russian ships had been unloading military equipment at Berdyansk in recent days, according to reports from the port by Russian media outlets.

It’s not known what weapon was used to attack the port.

Analysis of videos uploaded on Thursday also showed one Russian naval vessel leaving the port soon after the explosions.

This post has been updated with new information from Ukrainian officials.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a government meeting via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, on March 23.

Russia will seek payment in rubles for natural gas sold to “unfriendly” countries, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, and European gas prices soared on concerns the move would exacerbate the region’s energy crunch.

European nations and the United States have imposed heavy sanctions on Russia since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on February 24. But Europe depends heavily on Russian gas for heating and power generation, and the European Union is split on whether to sanction Russia’s energy sector.

Putin’s message was clear: If you want our gas, buy our currency. It remained unclear whether Russia has the power to unilaterally change existing contracts agreed upon in euros.

The ruble briefly leapt after the shock announcement to a three-week high past 95 against the dollar. It pared gains but stayed well below 100, closing at 97.7 against the dollar, down more than 22% since February 24.

Some European wholesale gas prices were up to 30% higher on Wednesday. British and Dutch wholesale gas prices jumped.

Russian gas accounts for some 40% of Europe’s total consumption. EU gas imports from Russia this year have fluctuated between €200 million to €800 million ($880 million) a day.

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A worker walks under pipework in the yard at the Comprehensive Gas Treatment Unit No.3 of the Gazprom PJSC Chayandinskoye oil, gas and condensate field, a resource base for the Power of Siberia gas pipeline, in the Lensk district of the Sakha Republic, Russia, on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. Amid record daily swings of as much as 40% in European gas prices, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a calculated intervention to cool the market last week by saying Gazprom can boost supplies to help ease shortages. Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Related article Putin wants 'unfriendly' countries to pay for Russian gas in rubles | CNN Business

One month after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, its forces continued to be pushed back around the capital of Kyiv and took up defensive positions northwest of the capital, a US official said. On Wednesday evening, CNN teams on the ground saw a barrage of outgoing fire from the area.

Ukraine’s gains: Ukrainian forces have pushed Russian forces back on the frontlines around Kyiv, a senior US defense official told reporters Wednesday. Russian forces are about 55 kilometers (roughly 34 miles) away from Kyiv’s city center to the east, the official said. To the northwest of Kyiv’s city center, Russian forces are “digging in, and they are establishing defensive positions,” according to the official, and have not got any closer to Kyiv’s city center along this line.

Russia intensifies attacks in East: At the same time, the official said Russian forces are becoming more active in the eastern part of Ukraine in the Donbas area, saying they’ve “applied a lot more energy” in the Luhansk and Dontesk regions, the two areas the Kremlin declared as independent republics ahead of last month’s invasion.

Russian ship destroyed: A large Russian ship has been destroyed in the Russian-occupied port of Berdyansk, southeastern Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Navy on Thursday. CNN could not confirm the Navy’s claim although social media videos appeared to show a very large fire with secondary explosions in the port.

Russian stocks partially reopen: Russia’s stock market opened for the first time in a month on Thursday as investors took part in a highly restricted trading session. The benchmark MOEX index gained as much as 10% in early trade in Moscow. Russian stocks last traded on February 25 after President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine caused shares to plummet. In the weeks since Russian stocks stopped trading, sanctions imposed by the West have crushed the ruble and put the country’s economy into a tailspin.

Biden arrives at NATO summit: US President Joe Biden arrived in Brussels for emergency summits to respond to the war in Ukraine. The visit comes as the West continues to grapple with how to disrupt Russia’s invasion. According to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Biden will “discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts” during the NATO summit and reaffirm the US commitment to its NATO allies.

Russia’s stock market opened for the first time in a month on Thursday as investors took part in a highly restricted trading session.

The benchmark MOEX index gained as much as 10% in early trade in Moscow. Russia’s central bank has banned short sales, and foreign investors are not allowed to dump shares, prohibitions that could help support stocks.

Investors are able to trade 33 stocks during the limited session from 9:50 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Moscow. Blue chip stocks Gazprom, Lukoil, VTB Bank, Sberbank, Rusal and Rosneft are among the equities that are trading.

Russian stocks last traded on February 25 after President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine caused shares to plummet. The MOEX index had lost roughly 35% of its value this year, while the RTS index – which is denominated in dollars – had plunged 42%.

In the weeks since Russian stocks stopped trading, sanctions imposed by the West have crushed the ruble and put the country’s economy into a tailspin. President Joe Biden is expected to announce additional sanctions during a trip to Europe this week.

Foreign investors are not allowed to sell shares on Thursday under new rules that ban brokers from executing sales on their behalf.

CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed reporting to this post.

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A man walks past the Moscow's stock market building in downtown Moscow on February 28, 2022. - Russia's central bank announced on February 28, 2022 it was raising its key interest rate to 20 percent from 9.5 percent as the West pummelled the country with sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Natalia KOLESNIKOVA / AFP) (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Russia's stock market reopens after month-long closure

US President Joe Biden, left, walks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as he arrives for an extraordinary summit at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on March 24.

US President Joe Biden has arrived in Brussels for emergency summits to respond to the war in Ukraine, a consequential visit that comes as the West continues to grapple with how to disrupt Russia’s invasion. 

Biden heads to a brief meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and takes a family photo with other NATO leaders, greeting UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others.

A European Council and G7 meeting will also take place on Thursday.

Some background: Biden is set to unveil sanctions on Russian political figures and oligarchs during the summits, the White House has said, and ahead of Thursday’s key meetings in Brussels, the US government also formally declared Russia’s military has committed war crimes in Ukraine.

According to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Biden will “discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts” during the NATO summit and reaffirm the US’ commitment to its NATO allies.

Social media images show destruction in Izyum.

The Russian military claimed to have taken control of the Ukrainian city of Izyum on Thursday, state media outlet RIA-Novosti reported citing the Russian Ministry of Defense.

However, Ukraine denied the claim with Lyudmyla Dolhonovska, an adviser to Ukraine Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, telling CNN that the battle for Izyum is “still going on.”

Izyum lies on the main road between Kharkiv and the Russian-backed separatist areas of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.

Some background: Izyum has been cut off from nearly all communications since intense battles between Russian and Ukrainian forces broke out there last week.

Now, the first videos and images have emerged from the city, showing widespread destruction, charred and bombed-out buildings, and bodies left lying in the streets.

Russia’s MOEX stock index opened higher after partially reopening for the first time in almost a month.

In the first few minutes, the index rose more than 10%. 

The Moscow Stock Exchange last traded on Feb. 25, after shares plunged following the invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions imposed on Russia. 

The MOEX index had lost roughly 35% of its value this year, while the RTS index — which is denominated in dollars — plunged 42%.

What is reopening:

Some context: The White House criticized the move to reopen the stock market, calling it a “charade” and a “Potemkin market opening” that will obscure the dire effects of Western economic sanctions.

Children look out the window of a Lviv bound train, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 3.

One in every two Ukrainian children has been displaced since Russia began its invasion on Feb. 24, according to the UN Children’s Fund.

“It’s mind-boggling,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told CNN. “Since the start of the war a month ago, out of every boy and girl in the country, one out of two now has had to flee their homes.”

Elder said UNICEF is trying to get blankets, water purification tablets, generators, medical supplies and obstetric kits for mothers giving birth into the country.

A fire at Berdyansk port is seen in this image from social media on March 24.

A large Russian ship has been destroyed in the Russian-occupied port of Berdyansk, in southeastern Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Navy on Thursday.

CNN could not confirm the Navy’s claim although social media videos appeared to show a very large fire with secondary explosions in the port.

Some context: Berdyansk sits on the Azov Sea and is roughly 45 miles (70 kilometers) southwest of Mariupol. The city has a small naval base and a population of about 100,000. Russian military troops first occupied Berdyansk government buildings on Feb. 27. 

Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 24.

The White House said Russia’s planned partial reopening of its stock exchange amounts to a “Potemkin market opening” that will obscure the dire effects of Western economic sanctions.

(The original term “Potemkin Village” derives from a story dating back to 18th-century Russia, suggesting that an artificial place can be built to disguise or conceal the true – and often less desirable – identity of the original.)

Singh said it was “not a real market and not a sustainable model — which only underscores Russia’s isolation from the global financial system.”

What is reopening:

Ukrainian evacuees board a train to Warsaw at the rail station in Przemysl, Poland, on March 23.

More than 2 million Ukrainian refugees have crossed into Poland since Russian forces invaded Ukraine a month ago.

It’s “the fastest displacement crisis we’ve seen since the Second World War,” the International Rescue Committee said in a statement Thursday.  

The IRC said Poland has “acted quickly” to legalize the stay of Ukrainians and to provide access to social services like healthcare, education, and financial assistance.

IRC, a major US humanitarian group, has urged authorities in countries neighboring Ukraine to “make full use of the help offered by the EU Asylum Agency, EU funding, and other EU countries to make sure that refugees are supported in an equitable and sustainable way across the continent.” 

A slew of emergency summits Thursday could help determine the next phase of the Western response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, which US officials warn is entering an uncertain but bloody stretch.

Announcements on new sanctions, NATO force posture and military assistance are all expected as part of the diplomatic burst, according to US and European officials.

Representatives from the White House and European governments spent days leading up to the summit in intensive conversations finalizing steps for leaders to unveil following their talks.

What they won’t do is what embattled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly asked: Enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

US and NATO officials have repeatedly said that such a move would risk provoking President Vladimir Putin and sparking a wider war with Russia.

Western allies have also found it difficult to take more aggressive steps, such as providing Russian-made fighter jets to Ukraine or deciding to cut themselves off from Russian energy supplies, which could potentially cripple Russia’s economy.

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(From R) Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, France's President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden talk as they arrive at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on March 24, 2022. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / POOL / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Western leaders set for critical day of summits as they ready the next phase of their response to Russia-Ukraine war

War in Europe has triggered a massive flight of capital from an Asian island nearly 5,000 miles away.

Over the last month, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has heightened concerns about the risk that China could increase its military force against Taiwan, triggering what some analysts have described as an unprecedented exodus by overseas investors.

In the three weeks following the invasion, foreign investors dumped shares worth about 480 billion Taiwanese dollars ($16.9 billion), according to Alex Huang, director at Mega International Investment Services, a Taipei-based firm.

That outflow is the biggest on record, he said, exceeding the value of Taiwanese shares sold by foreign investors in the whole of 2021, which Bank of America analysts have estimated at $15.6 billion.

Goldman Sachs analysts project that Taiwan has seen an outflow of $15.6 billion over the past month, topping last year’s tally of $15.3 billion.

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A man walks past a screen showing stocks index outside the Taiwan Stock Exchange in Taipei on March 8, 2022.

Related article Russia's invasion of Ukraine has foreign investors fleeing Taiwan. Here's why

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo greets President Joe Biden as he arrives at Melsbroek Air Base in Belgium on Wednesday.

US President Joe Biden is in Europe to inaugurate the post-, post-Cold War era.

For the first time in at least 30 years, a US president has arrived with the continent rattled by Russian aggression and jarred by a return of nuclear brinkmanship. The West is also mourning its shattered illusion that it had entered an era of perpetual peace.

Biden’s visit to address NATO and European Union leaders in Brussels and his travel to Poland, an alliance frontline state, will underscore how the world changed — probably irrevocably — as soon as the first Russian tank rolled over Ukraine’s border four weeks ago.

Depending on your view, the West and Russia are now fighting the last struggle of the Cold War or the first in a new age of confrontation as autocracies like Moscow and Beijing form a broad hostile front against Western-style democracy.

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WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 23: U.S. President Joe Biden walks towards members of the press prior to a Marine One departure from the White House on March 23, 2022 in Washington, DC. President Biden is traveling to Europe to meet with NATO and EU leaders to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Related article Analysis: The post-Cold War era is over. Biden's Europe trip will shape what comes next

President Joe Biden is set to gather with world leaders in Brussels, Belgium, for emergency summits to respond to the war in Ukraine, a consequential visit that comes as the West continues to grapple with how to disrupt Russia’s invasion.

Here are five key questions for Biden’s day with world leaders:

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President Joe Biden speaks with members of the press before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, March 23, 2022, in Washington. Biden is traveling to Europe to meet with world counterparts on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Related article 5 key questions for Biden's emergency summits on Russia's invasion of Ukraine

View of Mariupol from a video obtained by CNN.

New videos from Mariupol show the desolation of the besieged Ukrainian city, with deserted, debris-filled streets, blown-out cars and destroyed buildings.

CNN has geolocated and verified the authenticity of two videos, filmed from a car that came under gunfire, uploaded on social media Tuesday.

The first video, which was filmed from a moving car, begins with a blown-up Mariupol police vehicle coming into view as the drivers pull south on Builders Avenue in Mariupol’s western area. 

The street is littered with dirt, debris and splintered wood except for a small strip in the center of the road. Sporadic gunfire is heard in the video. 

In front of the car, the road appears blocked by burnt-out cars, and the camera pans suddenly downward. As it does, a body is seen on the ground to the right of a car. The car then sharply turns down a side road, and a man is seen running with a bag.

View of Mariupol from a video obtained by CNN.

A second video begins as the same car is driving north in a parking lot.

More gunfire is heard in the video as the car pulls back onto Builders Avenue and heads north, back from where it came from.

As it does, the body on the side of the road is seen again. The driver floors it amid the pops of gunfire. The vehicle passes back by the busted police car, and other bombed-out cars sitting on the road.

The driver continues accelerating as destroyed buildings and downed wires whiz by.

More gunfire is heard, this time so close that the impact of the bullets can be heard. It’s unclear if the bullets hit the car or the ground nearby.

The car then speeds off away from the gunfire.

Watch: Sporadic gunfire heard in new video from Mariupol

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One month since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Moscow’s forces have been pushed back around Kyiv and are taking defensive positions northwest of the capital, a US official said. On Wednesday evening, CNN teams on the ground saw a barrage of outgoing fire from the area.

Meanwhile, video has emerged from the eastern city of Izyum, showing widespread destruction and bodies in the street.

Here are the latest developments:

A still from the video shared by Chernihiv Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko.

The mayor of Chernihiv said the northern Ukrainian city’s cemetery cannot handle all the dead as the Russian onslaught takes its toll on the civilian population.

Badly damaged buildings line rubble-strewn streets, while still-burning fires fill the air with heavy smoke, as seen in a new video from Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko.

The video, geolocated and verified by CNN, offers an extensive look from the ground at the city that has seen some of the most intense shelling since Russia invaded Ukraine four weeks ago.

When the person recording the video asked how many people have died so far, the mayor said the city is not keeping statistics but all cases will be handled by the prosecutor’s office.

“There was a direct strike here. There is a tractor over there burning,” he said. “We are located right now in the zone of combat.”

Driving on Shevchenka street, located in the eastern part of the city, the mayor looks out at tattered billboards and homes with their roofs blown off or caved in.  

Watch: Video shows destroyed buildings, smoke and debris-filled streets in Chernihiv

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In a video message posted to Facebook Wednesday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Russians and told them, “save your sons from the war.”

Zelensky said Ukraine had never threatened the security of Russia, adding that Russian propagandists “lie about the war, which is paid for by your taxes.”

Ukrainians, he said, are doing everything they can to bring peace back to their land.

The Ukrainian President said Russia’s original plan “already failed” in the first two days of the invasion but Russia is still “getting manpower from everywhere.” 

Key talks: Zelensky referred to three upcoming meetings with world leaders — the NATO Summit, EU Summit and G7 Summit — and said politicians need to support freedom for Ukraine.

The President repeated his requests for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying the Ukrainian sky has not been made safe from Russian bombs and Kyiv has not received aircraft, modern anti-missile weapons or tanks. 

President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling for worldwide demonstrations in support of Ukraine as the Russian invasion reaches the one-month mark.

The Ukrainian President made the remarks in a speech posted to Facebook Wednesday evening, with the goal of seeing demonstrations begin Thursday.

Zelensky said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a war against freedom and that Russia aims to defeat the freedom of all of Europe and the world.

“To support freedom, to support life. Come to your squares, your streets, make yourselves visible and heard. Say that people matter, freedom matters, peace matters, Ukraine matters,” Zelensky said. 

Zelensky urged the world to unite against Russia’s invasion, saying, “the war of Russia is not only the war against Ukraine, its meaning is much wider.” 

US President Joe Biden departed Wednesday on one of the highest-stakes presidential trips in recent memory, a moment for the US President to assume leadership of a newly united West.

His visits to Brussels and Poland could still underscore the alliance’s limits in ending the bloodshed in Ukraine, with Western leaders struggling to find ways to halt Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war. So far, punishing Western sanctions haven’t stopped Putin, and it’s unclear whether the new steps expected this week — including sanctions on hundreds of members of Russia’s lower legislative body and changes to NATO’s force posture along its eastern edge — will be different.

Yet as he departed the White House early Wednesday, Biden appeared intent on using his last-minute wartime visit to Europe to send a message. Asked what he’d say to his partners, Biden said he’d wait to deliver it face to face.

Emergency summits of NATO, the European Union and the G7 will focus on displays of cooperation in punishing Russia and providing support to Ukraine as it comes under fire. A stop afterward in Poland is meant to highlight the massive refugee crisis that’s followed Russia’s invasion as well as to reassure allies on NATO’s eastern edge.

For Biden, the last-minute talks are a venue to demonstrate the foreign policy credentials he promised as a candidate, when he vowed to restore American leadership and repair broken alliances. The war in Ukraine is widely viewed inside the White House as one of the defining challenges for Biden and his presidential legacy. An emotional challenge from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, issued last week during his virtual address to Congress, now hangs over Biden’s entire trip: “Being the leader of the world means being the leader of peace.”

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WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 16: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks on Ukraine during an event in the South Court Auditorium at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House on March 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. President Biden delivered remarks on U.S. assistance to Ukraine. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Related article Biden heads across the Atlantic to rally the West at a pivotal moment for Ukraine -- and his presidency

NATO leaders will approve the deployment of four additional battle groups in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia at their summit Thursday, US Ambassador to NATO Julie Smith said Wednesday.

She said they are “not just national forces,” saying additional details would be shared on Thursday.

Speaking at an Atlantic Council event, Smith said NATO is in discussions about its medium- and long-term force presence in its eastern flank. 

“All options are on the table,” including permanent basing, she said.

Smith claimed Poland’s proposal of a NATO peacekeeping mission for Ukraine isn’t “dead in the water,” but said there are “a lot of open-ended questions” and “allies want to know more about what Poland is suggesting here.”

“We want to encourage this type of fresh thinking,” she said. “No one ever shirks or turns away when an ally brings an idea into our discussions here.”

Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

The leaders of Western powers are making the same mistakes with Russian President Vladimir Putin that their predecessors did with Hitler, says former Russian oil tycoon and Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Khodorkovsky — once Russia’s richest man — spent more than a decade in prison for tax evasion and fraud following a prosecution he said was part of a Kremlin campaign to destroy him. He now lives in exile overseas.

Speaking to CNN’s Erin Burnett on Wednesday, Khodorkovsky said he sees parallels between the situation in Ukraine today and the lead up to World War II.

Some context: NATO is unwilling to get directly involved in the war beyond supporting Ukraine’s resistance as it could escalate the conflict.

On the ground, Ukraine’s forces are being helped by Russia’s corruption, Khodorkovsky said, adding: “the level of (Russia’s) unpreparedness has come as a great surprise to me.”

It comes after US officials said the Russian military is suffering shortages of food and fuel and is plagued with logistics and sustainment problems. One official said there are indications some Russian soldiers have gotten frost bite because they lack the appropriate cold-weather gear.

Going after the oligarchs: Asked whether Russian oligarchs deserved to be sanctioned by the West, Khodorkovsky replied that even though it was “preposterous” to think the tycoons had any real influence over Putin, those who continued to back the Russian leader were “dangerous.”

“Oligarchs are not true oligarchs in the sense that they actually do not influence Putin,” he said.

A rare face-to-face meeting between Russian and US military officials last week led to an “outburst” of emotion from a normally stoic Russian general, a “revealing moment” that the Americans present believe hinted at larger morale problems in Russia’s military, according to a closely held US military readout of what transpired.

The readout, which was reviewed by CNN, describes the perspective of the two defense attachés who attended and their own impressions of what they saw and heard. It does not offer a definitive explanation of the Russian general’s behavior. Readouts of sensitive meetings are never made public by the military or intelligence community because they are scrutinized for clues about an adversary’s thinking and intentions.

The meeting, held at the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, is a rare instance of Russian and American defense officials sitting down in person since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. The readout describes the meeting as tense, with visible signs of stress on the Russian side.

It makes particular note of the behavior of Russian Maj. Gen. Yevgeny Ilyin, deputy chief of the main directorate of international cooperation, who has a long track record of dealing with American officials. In a break from typical practice, Ilyin spoke with no notes or set talking points, according to the readout.

As the meeting was breaking up, one US defense attaché “casually inquired” about Ilyin’s family roots in Ukraine, and the Russian general’s “stoic demeanor suddenly became flushed and agitated,” according to the readout. The Americans reported Ilyin responded “yes,” and said that he was born in Dnipropetrovsk before moving with his family moving to Donetsk, where he went to school.

It’s unclear why the meeting was held or the circumstances behind it. CNN does not know if there’s additional documentation describing the meeting. The readout does not include the names of the American attachés in the meeting, and CNN has been unable to learn their identities. The Pentagon and State Department declined to comment. CNN has reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment.

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Russian Major General Yevgeny Ilyin, deputy chief of the main directorate of international cooperation

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