Western Sanctions Akin To War vs Russia: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Western sanctions were akin to war on Saturday as his forces pressed on with their assault on Ukraine, where planned civilian evacuations from two besieged cities were called off, Pavel Polityuk and Aleksandar Vasovic reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: The sanctions against Russia have been unprecedented.

Russia and Ukraine traded blame over the failure to provide safe passage to civilians fleeing Mariupol and Volnobakha on the 10th day of a war that has fueled Europe's worst humanitarian disaster in decades.

Russia's invasion, which began Feb. 24, has sent 1.5 million refugees fleeing westward into the European Union (EU) and spurred unprecedented sanctions on Moscow. Ukraine said at least 39 Russian planes and 40 helicopters had been destroyed, while Russia said it had destroyed 82 Ukrainian aircraft, 708 armored vehicles, 74 multiple rocket launchers, and 56 drones.

Putin also threatened to destroy Ukraine’s statehood, meaning it would treat the nation as its own territory, raising international condemnation of his military misadventure that has already led to many countries ridiculing Russia’s claimed military superiority.

It also resurrected claims that Putin masterminded the bombing of an apartment building in Russia that killed 200 people, raised the approval rating of Putin’s boss, the late President Boris Yeltsin, and sparked the second war in Chechnya.

Now, Putin is also accused of shattering a partial ceasefire with Ukraine by claiming that “nationalists” prevented civilians from leaving the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha, which have been encircled by Russian troops.

The Mariupol city council said Russia was violating the ceasefire. Putin earlier claimed Ukrainians and western media were instigating Russian forces to fire on residential buildings by placing gunmen in those structures. Ukraine said Putin is a pathological liar.

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