Putin warns no-fly zone would be an 'act of war', safety corridor plans collapse

Efforts to temporarily halt hostilities in Mariupol and the eastern city of Volnovaka have failed as Ukraine accused Russian forces of violating the ceasefire. #Safecorridor #plancrumbles #Putinwarns "By accusing Ukraine of violating the agreement, Russia may be trying to deflect responsibility for the city's current and future civilian casualties," it said. In recent days, Ukraine has urged Moscow to create humanitarian corridors to allow children, women and the elderly to flee the fighting. The mayor said late Saturday (Ukrainian time), Russian troops increased their shelling of Mariupol, including the use of aircraft. "The city is under a very, very difficult siege," Vadim Boychenko told Ukrainian television. "Apartment buildings came under relentless artillery fire and planes dropped bombs on residential areas." Elsewhere in the country, Ukrainian troops took control of major cities in central and southeastern Ukraine, while Russians tried to surround Kharkov, Mykolayiv, Chek Ernigov and Sumy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that Russia was ready for a third round of talks, but assured that "the Ukrainian side, which seems to be the most interested party here, keeps making up excuses to delay the start of another meeting. ." Ukrainian troops on the outskirts of Sytniaky. The diplomatic effort continued when U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Poland to meet the Prime Minister and Secretary of State. The meeting came a day after NATO's Brussels meeting, which pledged to increase support for members of the East Flank but rejected calls for a no-fly zone. In Moscow, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met Putin in the Kremlin. Israel has good relations with both Russia and Ukraine, and Bennett offered to act as a mediator in the conflict. Following Western sanctions, Russia's leading state-owned airline Aeroflot announced it would suspend all international flights except Belarus. U.S. President Joe Biden called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss ongoing efforts to impose economic costs on Russia and speed up U.S. military, humanitarian and economic aid to Ukraine. President Biden welcomed the decision by Visa and Mastercard to cease operations in Russia. "President Biden noted that his administration is increasing security, humanitarian and economic assistance to Ukraine and is working closely with Congress to secure additional funding," reads an excerpt from the White House call. Putin warned Saturday that Ukraine's statehood is under threat, comparing it to a haven in the West