The day before, the Russian president announced the liberation of the Ukrainian port city on the Sea of Azov.
A representative of the US State Department called the statement “misinformation”, made on Thursday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who announced the “victory” and “liberation” of Mariupol , which had been under siege for almost two months, according to Voice of America.
Announcing the “victory”, Putin said he had ordered Russian troops to block all exits from the Azovstal metallurgical plant “so that the fly would not fly”.
The State Department said that, according to the United States, Ukrainian forces still hold positions in Mariupol, and called Putin's statement about the city's liberation “another misinformation from the established methodology.”
Speaking at a State Press briefing Ned Price noted that the Kremlin's plan for Ukrainians remaining in Azovstal is to “try to starve them by closing the facility.” According to Price, US partners are “using their leverage to influence the Russian Federation” to save Ukrainians who remain in Mariupol.
“We are discussing this with our Ukrainian partners, we want those who want to leave the city to have the opportunity to leave, and this is what we will continue to call for, and this is what will be given the same attention,” he said. Price.
In today's video address, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi once again asked Western countries to send more weapons and impose new economic sanctions against Moscow. Addressing the World Bank forum, he said Ukraine needed $ 7 billion a month to compensate for the economic losses caused by the Russian invasion. to the destruction of democracy in Ukraine, – said Zelensky in today's video address to the Portuguese Parliament. “We are fighting not only for our independence, but also for our survival, for our people, so that they are not killed, tortured or raped.”
Zelensky accused the Russian army of committing many atrocities in Ukraine, particularly in Mariupol, and called on the world community to sever ties with Moscow.
Control of Mariupol links pro-Russian separatist-occupied areas in the Ukrainian Donbas to the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.
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US President Joe Biden called the current events a “critical moment” in the conflict. He promised to send dozens of howitzers, 144,000 rounds of ammunition and tactical drones to Ukraine .
this war, “Biden said. According to him, Washington and its allies “acted as soon as possible” to provide Ukraine with the necessary equipment and weapons.
Biden also announced plans to ban Russian-affiliated merchant ships from entering ports and US coastal waters, which will complement the new round of Western sanctions against Moscow.
