Ukraine: The war between Russia and Ukraine entered its 43rd day on Thursday with the United States announcing new sanctions that target Russia’s biggest banks and President Vladimir Putin’s daughters. US President Joe Biden again on Wednesday accused Putin of committing “major war crimes” and called for an investigation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, accused Russia of trying to hide the evidence of war crimes to interfere with the international investigation.
The Ukraine government reiterated that the Russian forces are preparing for a new assault on Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions and urged residents to immediately leave the areas. “It’s necessary now because people will be under fire and the threat of death,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement. “It’s necessary to evacuate while it’s still possible,” he added.
Without condemning Putin, China’s envoy to the United Nations expressed dismay at the killing of unarmed civilians in Bucha, that Russia has repeatedly denied killing civilians, dismissing the documentation of the deaths. Italy said it would support a European Union ban on Russian gas if the bloc was united behind the idea — which it currently isn’t. Meanwhile, Russia’s ruble has recovered to its pre-invasion level.
The US Senate will take up legislation Thursday to end normal trade relations with Russia and to ban the importation of its oil. Both bills have been bogged down in the Senate, frustrating lawmakers who want to ratchet up the US response to Russia’s war with Ukraine. The eastern regions of Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk are seeing the worst of the fighting after Russian forces withdrew from around Kyiv.