Reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has put his nuclear forces on high alert represents an unnecessary and dangerous move, according to the Pentagon.
Putin made the move Sunday in response to “aggressive statements” by leading NATO powers and economic sanctions by the West. The directive means Putin has ordered Russia’s nuclear weapons prepared for increased readiness to launch.
Russia is under no threat from the United States and its NATO allies, and a miscalculation could be dangerous, a senior Defense Department official told reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.
The Pentagon is confident it can protect the United States and its allies, the official said.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Putin is “continuing to escalate” the war in Ukraine in a way that is “unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a delegation would meet with Russian officials for talks, near the Belarus border.
Thomas-Greenfield expressed hope for prospective peace talks. “We’ll look forward to what comes out of those discussions,” she told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Earlier Sunday, Russian troops entered Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, and fighting is underway in the streets, according to the Associated Press. Videos posted on Ukrainian media and social networks showed Russian vehicles moving across Kharkiv and a light vehicle burning on the street. Residents were urged to stay inside.
The troops in Kharkiv arrived after Russia unleashed a wave of attacks on Ukraine, targeting airfields and fuel facilities. Two large explosions rocked an area south of the capital just before 1 a.m. local time. Zelenskyy’s office said one of the blasts was near the Zhuliany airport and the other blast hit an oil depot about 25 miles south of the capital, according to the mayor of Vasylkiv via the AP. Russian forces also blew up a gas pipeline in Kharkiv, according to the Ukrainian president’s office.
The U.N. has confirmed at least 240 civilian casualties, including at least 64 people killed in the fighting in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion on Thursday, according to AP. Though, the U.N. believes the toll may be “considerably higher.”
More than 200,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries. U.N. officials believe up to 4 million people could leave if fighting continues.
Meanwhile, the United States and its European allies agreed to remove “selected” Russian banks from the international SWIFT messaging system, which allows for the movement of financial transactions.
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WHY IS RUSSIA INVADING UKRAINE?: Could this be the start of WWIII? We explain.
BACK IN THE STATES: What is the draft? And can it ever be reinstated here?
BANNED FROM SWIFT?: How banning Russia from the world banking system could impact the country
EU closing airspace to Russia
The top official in the European Union said the bloc will take unprecedented new steps after Russian President Vladimir Putin raised tensions with talk of nuclear weapons.
The EU will close its airspace to Russian airlines, including “the private jets of oligarchs,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“For the first time ever, the European Union will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons and other equipment to a country that is under attack,” she added.
The EU will also ban pro-Kremlin media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik, she said.
– Katie Wadington and AP
Sen. Mark Warner: Putin’s invasion a major ‘miscalculation’
Sen. Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Putin “totally underestimated” the resolve of the Ukrainians and the support building worldwide for the Ukrainian people, describing the Russian invasion so far as a major “miscalculation.”
“Remarkably what he’s also been able to do his unify the vast majority of us in the Senate, Democrats, Republicans alike,” Warner said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And he’s going to pay a high price.”
Warner said Putin over the past few years became “more and more isolated.”
“When you are an authoritarian leader, and you’re only hearing from people that want to say to the boss, hey, you’re right. I think that leads to miscalculation. I think that is what has happened in the case of this invasion in Ukraine.”
– Joey Garrison
US ambassador: No US ‘boots on the ground’ in Ukraine
As she made the rounds of the Sunday talk shows, United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield made clear that the U.S. response to the invasion of Ukraine will not include American troops or air personnel.
“The president has made clear that we’re not going to put boots on the ground,” Thomas-Greenfield said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Thomas-Greenfield said that mandate includes no patrols of any “no-fly zone” in the region.
The U.S. will provide whatever assistance it can to Ukraine, working with NATO partners, she said, but: “We’re not going to put American troops in danger. So that means we’re not going to put American troops in the air as well. But we will work with the Ukrainians to give them the ability to defend themselves.”
– David Jackson
Russian troops stalled outside Kyiv
The main force of Russian assault aimed at Kyiv remained stalled Sunday about 18 miles from the city’s center, hindered by stiff Ukrainian resistance and Russia’s own problems providing fuel and supplies for its troops, according to a senior Defense Department official.
There are indications of some fighting inside Kyiv and that Russian troops in Ukrainian military uniforms have appeared there, said the official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.
The officials described Ukrainian resistance as stiff and creative around Kyiv and Kharkiv. Meantime, fuel shortages and logistics problems for Russian troops are most acute near Kharkiv.
The war is a major operation for Russia’s military, a complex mission that it does not have recent experience mounting, the official said. It’s unclear if the shortages in materials represent a failure in planning or execution. However, the official said Russian officers are expected to learn and adapt to its logistical problems.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, there are troubling indications that Russia is encircling the city of Chernihiv, northeast of Kyiv, and could be planning to besiege it, the official said. There are increasing rocket attacks there, imprecise weapons that can kill civilians and damage infrastructure.
Overall, Russian President Vladimir Putin has committed two-thirds of the combat forces he deployed against Ukraine is now inside the country, the official said.
Russia has launched more 320 ballistic missiles into Ukraine during the four-day war. There are some indications that several ballistic missiles have failed to launch.
– Tom Vanden Brook
U.S.: Putin ‘can be assured’ of tougher sanctions
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said Sunday the U.S. will continue to apply stiffer economic sanctions against Russia as Putin escalates fighting in Ukraine.
“We are continuing to assess what we can do moving forward,” Thomas-Greenfield said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And the Russians can be assured that we will continue to put more and more sanctions as they continue to press more on the Ukrainian government.”
U.S. and Western allies have cut some Russian banks out of the SWIFT financial system but stopped short of a complete removal.
“They will feel the pain,” she said, adding there are also actions the U.N. can take.
“We can isolate them. We can isolate them in the United Nations. We can isolate them in U.N. specialized agencies. They are feeling that isolation.”
– Joey Garrison
NATO leader: Russia must make ‘serious compromises’ in peace talks
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said if peace talks are to succeed, Russia must be willing to make “serious compromises” and “respect the sovereignty of Ukraine.”
Stoltenberg told CNN’s “State of the Union” that Putin’s decision to put his nuclear forces on high alert is not a good sign.
It “just adds to the very aggressive rhetoric” of Russia, the NATO leader said.
– David Jackson
Ukraine ambassador: Russia committing ‘war crimes’
Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States accused Russia of committing war crimes in its attack on her country.
Ambassador Oksana Markarova said Sunday that Russian troops are using heavy missiles and heavy artillery to attack Ukraine’s infrastructure, as well as hospitals and kindergartens. Many children have been killed, and one entire family was shot in their car, she said.
“Nothing is off limits to them,” Markarova said on ABC’s “This Week.” “What we see is a full-fledged war, with war crimes on the ground.”’
Asked whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is safe, Markarova offered no information on his whereabouts but added, “He is as safe as our country.”
She spoke shortly after Zelenskyy’s office confirmed that a delegation will meet with Russian officials. Marakova said Ukraine is ready “for any peace talks that would stop the war and get them out from our country.” But the Ukrainians will not surrender, she said.
– Michael Collins
Cotton: West must stop ‘pussyfooting around’ on sanctions
Sen. Tom Cotton on Sunday called on the Biden administration and American businesses to provide “no support whatsoever” to Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine.
“We can do more than prayers and hashtags and lining up building storage,” he said on ABC’s “This Week.” “It’s time for the president and some of our European partners to quit pussyfooting around.”
Cotton appealed to the Biden administration to increase its sanctions on Russian banks, arguing that while the administration says it has sanctioned 80% of Russian banks, Russian President Vladimir Putin “controls 100% of banks.”
The Arkansas Republican also blamed Western nations for underestimating Putin’s ambition.
Despite a strong condemnation of Putin, Cotton stopped short of condemning former President Donald Trump, who has called Putin “smart” and his plan both “savvy” and “genius.” Cotton repeatedly said he does not speak for other politicians.
– Ella Lee
‘This is a different Putin’: Rice says Putin ‘erratic’
Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said Russian President Vladimir Putin recent behavior is a departure from her past encounters with the “cold and calculating” leader.
“This is a different Putin,” Rice, who served under former President George W. Bush, said on “Fox News Sunday.” “He seems erratic… He has descended into something I have not seen before.”
While Rice said the prospect of peace talks was promising, she urged Ukraine to follow the advice of former President Ronald Reagan.
“Trust but verify,” she said. “It’s always a good thing if there is a chance (at peace),” she said.
– Kevin Johnson
More:A song of defiance: Ukraine’s national anthem being heard all over the world
Psaki: Putin ‘manufacturing threats’ to justify attack on Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to put nuclear deterrent forces on high alert is another example of the Russian leader “manufacturing threats” to justify aggression against Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday.
“We’ve seen him do this time and time again,” Psaki said on ABC’s “This Week.” “At no time has Russia been under threat from NATO.”
“This is all a pattern from President Putin,” Psaki said, “and we’re all going to stand up” to him.
– Michael Collins
Condoleeza Rice: Putin faces unexpected reality in Ukraine
Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said Russian President Vladimir Putin may have “bitten off more than he can chew” perhaps forcing early peace talks.
Rice, speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” said Putin likely believed that he could “waltz” into Ukraine.
“But the reality has been quite different.”
– Kevin Johnson
Romney casts the war as a battle of ‘good and evil’
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, cast Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion as a battle of “good and evil,” and called for more sanctions on the “evil regime” of Vladimir Putin.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Romney also said he hopes Putin will use potential peace talks with Ukraine as an opportunity to back off.
“He made a huge error,” Romney said of Putin. “This is not going well for him.”
– David Jackson
More:Mapping and tracking Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
‘A thug and despot’: Putin to feel pain of new financial sanctions
Removing Russia from a global banking network as part of a new round of sanctions “will make a big difference” in isolating the Kremlin, said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
The U.S. and its allies Saturday cut Russia from the key financial messaging network known as SWIFT, in an escalation of its sanctioning campaign.
Klobuchar called Putin “a thug and a despot,” who misjudged the world’s reaction to Russia aggression.
– Kevin Johnson
U.N. ambassador looks forward to potential Russia-Ukraine talks
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, expressed hope for prospective peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
“We’ll look forward to what comes out of those discussions,” Thomas-Greenfield told CNN’s “State of the Union.” The ambassador spoke shortly after reports that Ukraine would send a delegation to a location near the Belarus border to talk with Russian negotiators.
U.N. ambassador says Russian leaders will be held accountable – including Putin
Thomas-Greenfield did not directly address the question of whether Putin should be tried as a war criminal – but also did not reject the idea.
“We’re holding the Russians accountable at every level,” she said on CNN.
She later added: “Everything is on the table”
– David Jackson
Zelenskyy’s office: Ukraine delegation, Russian officials to meet
The office of Ukraine’s president has confirmed that a delegation will meet with Russian officials as Moscow’s troops draw closer to Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said on the Telegram messaging app that the two sides would meet at an unspecified location on the Belarusian border and did not give a precise time for the meeting.
The announcement on Sunday came hours after Russia announced that its delegation had flown to Belarus to await talks. Ukrainian officials initially rejected the move, saying any talks should take place elsewhere than Belarus, where Russia has placed a large contingent of troops.
– Associated Press
‘Unacceptable’: Thomas-Greenfield says Putin escalating conflict in Ukraine
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Sunday that Vladimir Putin’s decision to put nuclear deterrent forces on high alert indicates the Russian president is “continuing to escalate” the war in Ukraine in a way that is “unacceptable.”
Speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. is using “every possible lever” to stop Russia’s invasion of its neighbor and that the U.N. Security Council will meet later Sunday.
“I’m not surprised at this information because Putin has tried every means possible to actually put fear in the world in terms of his actions. It just means that we need to ramp up up our actions at the U.N.”
When asked whether there’s a threat of chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, Thomas-Greenfield responded: “Certainly nothing is off the table with this guy.”
– Sean Rossman
Putin orders nuclear deterrent forces on high alert
Russia President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian nuclear forces Sunday to be on high alert, a dramatic escalation of tensions with the West that brought immediate condemnation from the U.S. as Russia continues its full-scale assault on Ukraine.
Putin, announcing the move on Russian state television, called it a response to “aggressive statements” and tough financial sections from NATO countries. The extraordinary step raises the threat of nuclear warfare entering the conflict in Ukraine, a scenario the White House has previously said it has not assessed.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, condemned the action as “unacceptable” in an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Putin directed the Russian defense minister and the chief of the military’s General Staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a “special regime of combat duty” during a meeting with top officials.
“Western countries aren’t only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic sphere, but top officials from leading NATO members made aggressive statements regarding our country,” Putin said in televised comments.
At the onset of the conflict with Ukraine, Putin warned that any nation that would “hinder us” will face” such consequences that you have never encountered in your history,” although he did not elaborate what he meant.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
— Joey Garrison, Associated Press
Kyiv eerily quiet after explosions
The capital, Kyiv, was eerily quiet after huge explosions lit up the morning sky and authorities reported blasts at one of the airports. Only an occasional car appeared on a deserted main boulevard as a strict 39-hour curfew kept people off the streets. Terrified residents instead hunkered down in homes, underground garages and subway stations in anticipation of a full-scale Russian assault.
“The past night was tough – more shelling, more bombing of residential areas and civilian infrastructure,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “There is not a single facility in the country that the occupiers wouldn’t consider as admissible targets.”
Videos posted on Ukrainian media and social networks showed Russian vehicles moving across Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. The images showed Russian troops roaming the city in small groups. In one image, Ukrainian troops were seen firing at the Russians and damaged Russian light utility vehicles abandoned nearby.
The images underscored the determined resistance Russian troops face while attempting to enter Ukraine’s bigger cities. Ukrainians have volunteered en masse to help defend the capital, Kyiv, and other cities, taking guns distributed by authorities and preparing firebombs to fight Russian forces.
– Associated Press
Zelenskyy asks UN top court to halt Russian invasion, says Moscow ‘manipulating the notion of genocide’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of manipulating the notion of genocide to justify invading its neighbor and urged the International Court of Justice to hold trials.
Located in The Hague, the Netherlands, the ICJ is the main judicial arm of the United Nations.
“Russia must be held accountable for manipulating the notion of genocide to justify aggression. We request an urgent decision ordering Russia to cease military activity now and expect trials to start next week,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.
The ICJ rules on disputes between states, including responsibility for breaches of international law. It is not linked to the International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, which holds individuals accountable for atrocities.
– Caren Bohan and Associated Press
Zelenskyy is a lion of a leader | Opinion
“I need ammunition, not a ride.” Those are the words proclaimed by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In the midst of terrible death and destruction and the most egregious threat to Europe since World War II, Ukrainians are teaching the rest of the world a lesson about freedom, resolve and love of country.
When offered an escape from Kyiv, allegedly by the United States, the 44-year-old Ukrainian president immediately rejected the notion and demonstrated selfless leadership and a portrait of courage generally reserved for Hollywood.
Many leaders would have abandoned ship, putting their own personal safety above that of their countrymen. Zelenskyy, on the other hand, is taking a stand for freedom, boldly demonstrating that freedom is worth fighting for; that a government of, by and for the people is worth defending.
– August Pfluger (Read more of August Pfluger’s column.)
NHL star Alex Ovechkin called over over stance on war
Hockey Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek has called for the NHL to “immediately suspend contracts for all Russian players” amidst Russia’s deadly invasion of Ukraine.
The 57-year-old Czech also had some choice words for Washington Capitals’ Russian-born star Alex Ovechkin, a supporter of President Vladimir Putin.
Hasek, who played in the NHL for 16-seasons and is widely considered one of the best goaltenders of all time, called Ovechkin an “alibist,” a “liar” and a “chicken (expletive)” after Ovechkin failed to publicly denounce Putin and his country’s aggression.
– Cydney Henderson
Ukraine rejects location for talks with Russia
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country is ready for peace talks with Russia but not in Belarus.
Speaking in a video message Sunday, Zelenskyy suggested meeting in Warsaw, Poland; Bratislava, Slovakia; Istanbul; Budapest, Hungary; or Baku, Azerbaijan. He said other locations are also possible but made clear that Ukraine doesn’t accept Russia’s selection of Belarus, which Russia has used as a staging ground for its invasion.
The Kremlin said Sunday a Russian delegation had arrived in Homel, Belarus, for talks with Ukrainian officials. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the delegation includes military officials and diplomats.
– Associated Press
Russia’s cutting off port access
Russia was working Sunday to limit strategic strategic ports along the Ukraine’s coastline stretching from the border with Romania in the west to the border with Russia in the east. A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said Russian forces had blocked the cities of Kherson on the Black Sea and the port of Berdyansk on the Azov Sea.
Russia’s military also put increasing pressure on strategic ports in the south of Ukraine, blocking the cities of Kherson on the Black Sea and the port of Berdyansk on the Azov Sea.
Cutting Ukraine’s access to its sea ports would deal a major blow to the country’s economy.
— Associated Press
Russia targets Ukraine airfields in next phase
Russia unleashed a wave of attacks on Ukraine targeting airfields and fuel facilities in what appeared to be the next phase of an invasion that has been slowed by fierce resistance. The U.S. and EU responded with weapons and ammunition for the outnumbered Ukrainians and powerful sanctions intended to further isolate Moscow.
Huge explosions lit up the sky early Sunday south of the capital, Kyiv, where people hunkered down in homes, underground garages and subway stations in anticipation of a full-scale assault by Russian forces.
— Associated Press
Where are Russian military forces? Tracking the Ukraine invasion
‘You cannot defeat a whole nation’
On Sunday morning, Ukranian writer Illarion Pavliuk plans to set out on a dangerous journey to help his countrymen as explosions rock Kyiv, and outgunned Ukrainian forces continue to maintain control of their capital.
Pavliuk is not a solider, but he does have a military background. In 2015, he was an intelligence volunteer in the war in Eastern Ukraine. And yet, this is what Ukraine has become – a country where internationally acclaimed artists are forced to kiss their children goodnight before they go off to defend their homeland from the occupying force. “We will never give up and we are going to win this war. You cannot defeat the whole nation. And Ukrainians are absolutely united as a nation now.”
His words are haunting and powerful, with his children in the background.
“What can I tell you about this war? It is difficult to say a couple of words,” he says. “I would never ever imagine my four children dropping their toys and running to sit in the thickest doorway in the house because of cruise missiles above our city; ballistic missiles.
“And I would never imagine this and I will never forgive Russia.”
– Carli Pierson, USA TODAY
