Russian President Putin says West’s sanctions on Russia are equivalent to declaring a war

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday warned that Ukrainian statehood is in jeopardy and equated the West’s sanctions on Russia to declaring war. If they continue to do what they are doing, they are calling into question the future of Ukrainian statehood, and if this happens, it will be entirely on their conscience ,he added. He also hit out at Western sanctions that have affected Russia’s economy and sent the value of its currency tumbling.

Ten days after Russian forces began their operations, the efforts to enforce the temporary cease-fires in Mariupol and the eastern city of Volnovakha showed no signs of improvement.

Ukrainian officials said Russian artillery fire and airstrikes had prevented residents from leaving before the agreed-to evacuations got underway. Putin accused Ukraine of sabotaging the ceasefire effort.

The third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine will take place tomorrow according to Davyd Arakhamia, a member of the Ukrainian delegation.

Previous meetings were held in Belarus and led to the failed cease-fire agreement to create humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of children, women and older people from besieged cities, where pharmacies have run bare, hundreds of thousands face food and water shortages, and the injured have been succumbing to their wounds.