US has rejected Russia’s offer to unblock Ukrainian ports in exchange for lifting sanctions. U.S. Department of State spokesman Ned Price called Russia’s suggestion “empty promises.” The quickest solution to rising prices, he said, “is to end the Russians’ brutal war.”
Meanwhile, Russia on 24th February launched its invasion of Ukraine. And, according to the latest updates, Ukraine’s president and foreign minister have pleaded with the west to send more weapons to their military in the face of Russia’s intensifying assault on the eastern Donbas region. Russian forces have launched fresh assaults on towns in eastern Ukraine, with the city of Sievierodonetsk increasingly in danger of being totally encircled. Also, Ukraine’s foreign ministry said Moscow’s plan to simplify the process of handing Russian citizenship to residents of Ukraine’s Russian-occupied regions violates international law.