Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of weaponizing energy, after Russia cut natural gas supply to Poland and Bulgaria a day earlier, putting the European Union on alert for further retaliation.
In a speech after the decision, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned other nations against interfering in the war and threatened “…lightning fast counterstrikes”.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden spoke today about Washington’s support for Ukraine, as battles rage across the east of the country, from the city of Kharkovo to the Donbas region.
Still in the war-ravaged country, UN Secretary General António Guterres underlined that “the war is evil,” speaking during a visit to Kiev for a meeting with Zelensky, and days after meeting Putin at the Kremlin.
The UN chief has pledged to keep trying to broker evacuations from a steel plant in the besieged city of Mariupol, after the United Nations said Putin agreed, at least “in principle”, to allow trapped civilians an opportunity to depart safely. However, Ukrainian officials charge that military strikes have not abated.