MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — Russian shelling has foiled another temporary cease-fire to evacuate civilians from battle zones, Ukrainian officials said, as Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to keep fighting until Ukraine backs down.
In the southern city of Mariupol, local officials said getting people out safely was impossible after two rescue efforts collapsed in less than 24 hours, trapping more than 200,000 residents in areas under fire, according to a tally from the International Committee. In Irpin, a town outside the capital, some trying to flee the violence died in an explosion, visuals verified by The Washington Post show. One photo shows an abandoned suitcase in the wreckage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that more civilian lives were at risk as Russian troops prepared to attack the major port city of Odessa. “This will be a war crime,” he said in an emotional video Sunday. Russia has obliterated sources of heat, electricity and water in residential areas with siege tactics that one Western intelligence official called “almost medieval.”
Russian forces also struck a Ukrainian military air base, as well as a commercial airport, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials — strikes that could hinder Ukrainian access to airstrips. A spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry warned foreign nations that hosting Ukrainian combat planes would be viewed as “involvement of those countries in the armed conflict,” remarks that come as Ukrainian officials call on Western allies to supply fighter planes to help repel Moscow’s invasion.
Here’s what to know
- Britain’s Defense Ministry said that Russia is responding to the surprising “scale and strength” of Ukrainian resistance by targeting residential areas of several cities — Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Mariupol — in an apparent effort to “break Ukrainian morale.”
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the United States is discussing a ban on Russian oil with European partners, a potentially crucial step in the ongoing effort to cripple the Russian economy. Some U.S. lawmakers have expressed support for such a move.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Sunday that the number of foreigners who have signed up to fight for Ukraine in its war against Russia is “approaching 20,000,” and that the volunteers are from 52 countries.
- 1.5 million people have fled the fighting in Ukraine, and at least 364 civilians have been killed, according to U.N. agencies.
UNDERSTANDING THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT
Why cryptocurrency hasn’t become a popular sanctions-dodger
Since Western governments began levying heavy sanctions against Russia last week, some crypto boosters have raised the possibility that the alternate currencies could be a useful tool for banks and other companies that still want to conduct business in the country.
“Events like this are exactly why cryptocurrencies were designed,” wrote Tristan Roozendaal, chief executive of Centralex, an Estonian-registered cryptocurrency exchange, in an email to reporters last week, noting crypto made it easy for his company to pay employees in Russia.
But larger and more legally questionable transactions are unlikely, according to experts. Maddie Kennedy, a spokeswoman for the crypto data monitoring firm Chainalysis, said the group had seen little activity over the past week to suggest a brisk black market based on crypto. There is “no evidence of large-scale attempts at sanctions evasion,” she said.
Among the chief reasons: energy. Massive crypto trades require high levels of energy and computer processing, and there simply is not enough of it to support a Russian financial system that the U.S. Treasury Department says normally trades some $46 billion daily.
Another factor is visibility. Because all cryptocurrency transactions take place on one of multiple blockchains — a digital ledger of sorts — they’re visible to regulators.
And the fastest blockchains that an entire country’s economy would want to use, like U.S.-based Solana, are even more visible due to their “centralization” — that is, data is concentrated in fewer places.
While blockchains are massive (and arcane) and can’t be monitored at all times, frequent large-scale transactions are unlikely to escape detection.
“At some point you start moving the currency around and a regulator sees it and it gets frozen,” said Pelle Braendgaard, chief executive of crypto mainstreaming group Notabene, in an interview. In other words, much like the traditional financial system, some people will slip under the radar. Massive evasion tool? Much less likely.
U.N. official says non-European countries may need to help as Ukrainian refugees exceed 1.5 million
More than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have fled to neighboring countries over the past 10 days, the United Nations high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, said Sunday. He tweeted that the mass exodus is “the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.”
Grandi recently predicted that more than 4 million people could be displaced by the conflict in the days to come.
Grandi later said that if that if the exodus from Ukraine continues, other countries outside Europe may need to increase their role.
“If this number of people grows, we will need more international support and at some point if people stay here for a long period of time, there will have to be other countries offering places to host refugees, even outside Europe,” Grandi said on “Face the Nation,” speaking from Poland near the Ukrainian border.
The 1.5 million number is “difficult enough to manage even for relatively stable and prosperous countries in Europe. Imagine, however, if we go further up. And we will.”
The majority of those fleeing Ukraine have entered Poland, while others have sought safety in Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia and Romania, according to U.N. data.
Grandi said Sunday that he was not especially concerned about political backlash to refugees of the kind seen with Syria and other war-torn areas. “This crisis carries an important message: that anybody can become a refugee very suddenly,” he said.
In recent days, Grandi has led calls for support and hailed locals and officials in other countries for welcoming in recent days thousands experiencing “separation, anguish, and loss.”
On “Face the Nation,” Grandi also assailed Russia for not upholding its commitment to a cease-fire, backing up Ukrainian officials’ claims that the humanitarian pause has not happened.
“Up to now we have not succeeded in getting the necessary guarantees and respect for the cease-fire,” Grandi said. “There is bombardment by the Russian forces.”
He called such a cease-fire the only way for convoys to get supplies in and refugees out.
As the number of refugees from Ukraine in neighbouring countries reaches 1.2 million I am in Moldova, where the government, local authorities and overall population are making huge efforts to welcome and organize those arriving across the border.
Moldova needs more support! pic.twitter.com/9fzj6wRxXF
— Filippo Grandi (@FilippoGrandi) March 4, 2022
Moldova worries it could be Russia’s next target
CHISINAU, Moldova — There have been no air raid sirens in Moldova, no explosions and no casualties, but already some of the turbulence and anxiety of war is starting to build.
People trade jittery messages on social media as Russian troops move through neighboring Ukraine. Some Moldovans are stockpiling foreign currency and drawing up plans to flee. Many, seeing how abruptly lives collapsed in Ukraine, say they fear the potential for catastrophe in their own country: All it takes is for Russian President Vladimir Putin to expand his ambitions.
Ten days into a conflict that is shifting alliances and upending the world order, the repercussions are hitting most directly in countries like Moldova — post-Soviet nations that balanced for years between the East and West, and are now realizing the middle ground is untenable.
In Moldova, the war has accelerated the drive to align fully with Europe. On Thursday, the country placed an application to join the European Union, in what its prime minister described as a vote for “freedom.” Moldova has also strained to accommodate more than 250,000 Ukrainian refugees who have crossed its borders, the prime minister noted. In a visit Sunday to Moldova’s capital, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the country a “powerful” example of a democracy moving forward, not backward.
But while Moldova has never felt closer to Europe, it has also never felt more vulnerable to the Kremlin. Russian troops are pushing toward port cities along Ukraine’s southern coast, including Odessa, 30 miles from Moldova’s border. Several days ago, addressing his security council, Belarus’s authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, showed a battle map that showed an arrow pointing toward Moldova.
Russia warns foreign nations on hosting Ukrainian combat planes
By Washington Post Staff12:11 p.m.
Russia warned Sunday that foreign countries hosting Ukrainian combat aircraft could be viewed by Moscow as parties to the conflict.
“We know for a fact about Ukrainian combat planes which earlier flew to Romania and other neighboring countries,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said Sunday.
He added: “We would like to point out that the use of the network of airfields of those countries for the stationing of Ukrainian combat aviation for the further use against the Russian Armed Forces could be viewed as the involvement of those countries in the armed conflict.”
The announcement came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presses Western allies to send fighter planes to combat Moscow’s invasion. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the United States is exploring how it might facilitate supplying Ukraine with fighter jets from NATO nations.
U.S. lawmakers say they’re eager to support some of Zelensky’s requests this week
Several members of Congress said Sunday that they are ready to step up support for Ukraine when they return to Washington, after President Volodymyr Zelensky made a direct appeal to them over the weekend during a virtual appearance.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) both said they would support a ban on imports of Russian oil, an idea that appeared to have growing bipartisan agreement. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration was in “very active discussions” with European partners on such a move.
Rubio and Manchin said the United States had the ability to ramp up oil production to make up for a Russian ban to prevent raising prices on American consumers. Rubio said such concerns were an “admission” that Putin still has leverage over the United States.
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers also said they endorsed sending Soviet-era fighter jets to counter Russian raids but cautioned against implementing a no-fly zone, which they said could escalate the conflict even further.
Zelensky had stopped short of using the phrase “no-fly zone,” according to those on the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the call was private. Instead, he discussed the urgency of “control of the skies” to combat the Russian bombardment.
“A no-fly zone has become a catchphrase. I’m not sure many people understand what that means,” Rubio said on ABC. “It’s a willingness to shoot down the aircrafts of the Russian federation, which is basically the beginning of World War III.”
Manchin wouldn’t dismiss the idea of taking such a step.
“To take anything off the table thinking we might not be able to use things because we’ve already taken them off the table is wrong,” Manchin said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I would take nothing off the table.”
Zelensky’s virtual meeting with lawmakers may also push forward additional money for Ukraine. The Biden administration on Thursday requested $10 billion in aid for Ukraine, a move that appears to have bipartisan support. But supporters are worried that funding could get stalled by funding fights over additional money requested to combat the covid pandemic.
“My belief is that next week Congress is going to pass an emergency funding bill for Ukraine, putting $10 billion into both additional defensive equipment for Ukraine, but also humanitarian assistance to get civilian out,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said on “Fox News Sunday.” “My hope is that the Europeans will do more as well.”
Additional dollars could be directed to Poland and other European allies that are taking in refugees, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said during a separate segment on “Fox News Sunday.”
“This is where you see Republicans and Democrats coming together to aid Ukraine and of course provide stability to Europe,” Ernst said.
Pradnya Joshi contributed to this report.
Russian forces attack airfields in Ukraine as Zelensky pleads for fighter jets
MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — Russia targeted a military air base and a commercial airport in central Ukraine on Sunday, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials, in attacks that could deny Ukraine usable airstrips as Kyiv presses Western allies to send fighter planes to combat Moscow’s invasion.
A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said the military had struck and disabled Ukraine’s Starokostiantyniv military air base, about 150 miles southwest of Kyiv, early Sunday, using long-range, high precision weapons. The airport was among dozens of targets, including a Russian-made air defense system owned by Ukraine, the spokesman said.
Later Sunday, in a video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a missile strike on Vinnystia, about 70 miles southeast of the air base, had “completely destroyed the airport.”
Zelensky repeated his appeal for allied nations to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. “We repeat every day: Close the sky over Ukraine. Close it for all Russian rockets. For all Russian military aviation. For all these terrorists. Make a humanitarian airspace. Without rockets, without bombs from the air. We are people and this is your humanitarian obligation to protect us.”
Failing that, supply “airplanes so that we can protect ourselves,” he added.
Pope Francis: ‘This is not only a military operation but a war’
Pope Francis said Sunday that the ongoing crisis in Ukraine is not just what Russia describes as “a military operation” but “a war which is leading to death, destruction and misery.”
“War is madness, please stop,” the pontiff said during his weekly address in St. Peter’s Square, where some listening in the crowd were holding the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine, Reuters reported.
“In Ukraine rivers of blood and tears are flowing,” the 85-year-old said as he renewed calls for peace. “Let us return to the respect of international law.”
Although the pope did not mention Russian President Vladimir Putin or Russia by name, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican, Andriy Yurash, still applauded the pope’s remarks.
“Even if the pope did not say the word ‘Russia,’ everyone in the world knows who the aggressor that invaded us is and who started this unprovoked war,” Yurash said.
Moody’s cuts Russia’s credit rating deeper into junk territory, predicting losses for investors
By Washington Post Staff11:10 a.m.
Ratings agency Moody’s has cut Russia’s credit rating on its long-term debt deeper into junk territory, citing the risk of a Russian default, three days after downgrading it six notches.
The agency said the risk of a Russian default had increased, explaining that the downgrade was “driven by severe concerns around Russia’s willingness and ability to pay its debt obligations.”
It predicted that Russia’s economy would shrink by 7 percent this year and would continue to decline in 2023, with a long-term ruble decline, rising inflation and lower living standards. Moody’s said the ratings outlook was negative, meaning a further downgrade is likely, and predicted “larger than historical average losses for investors.”
Russia’s economy is reeling from tougher-than-expected Western sanctions, but also the reluctance of Western firms to stay in Russia, after its invasion of a neighboring sovereign nation.
Washington and the European Union have frozen assets that Russia’s central bank holds overseas and cut key Russian banks off from the SWIFT payments system. Meanwhile, hundreds of brands have pulled out of Russia, cut ties or announced plans to withdraw or scale back.
Russia’s ruble plunged and Russian stocks on international exchanges fell sharply.
Before the invasion, Russian officials shrugged off Western warnings of “sanctions from hell,” saying Russia was used to them and would weather the storm. But officials have been shocked by the seismic impact of the actions to isolate Russia’s finances from the global system. President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that the sanctions were akin to a declaration of war on Russia.
Moody’s cut the credit rating to Ca, the second-lowest rating, from B3. On Thursday it was Baa3.
S&P has Russia rated at “CCC-minus” and Fitch has it at B, with a further downgrade likely.
Zelensky’s famous quote of ‘need ammo, not a ride’ not easily confirmed
It’s been one of the most-cited lines of the Russian invasion of Ukraine — a defiant president refusing a U.S. offer to move to a more secure location away from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
Hundreds of news articles have cited the line. It’s appeared repeatedly on television newscasts, such as an “Inside Edition” report on the “global hero.”
But, so far, the only evidence for this line is an unnamed U.S. official. It has not been confirmed by either the U.S. government or Zelensky’s office.
Blinken signals that a ban on Russian oil could be coming
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the United States is eyeing a ban on Russian oil, a potentially crucial step in the ongoing effort to cripple the Russian economy.
“We are now talking to our European partners and allies to look in a coordinated way at the prospect of banning the import of Russian oil while making sure that there’s still an appropriate supply of oil on world markets,” he said Sunday morning.
As recently as Thursday, the White House had downplayed the possibility.
“Our objective and the president’s objective has been to maximize impact on President Putin and Russia while minimizing impact to us and our allies and partners,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. “We don’t have a strategic interest in reducing the global supply of energy, and that would raise prices at the gas pump for the American people.”
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” however, Blinken acknowledged that the winds have shifted. “That’s a very active discussion as we speak,” he said.
The European Union has also appeared to pivot after showing previous reluctance. On Friday the group’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said, “Everything remains on the table.” E.U. countries rely more heavily than the United States does on Russian oil imports.
Congress has seen a growing call on both sides of the aisle in favor of a ban.
The energy sector is critical to Russia’s economy; the country reportedly earned some $63 billion from international oil and gas sales in the third quarter of 2021, the most recent period for which data is available.
Also on the show, Blinken elaborated on his call Saturday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and said the Biden administration continues to hope that China will break its silence and speak out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Civilians are ‘living in terror in Mariupol, desperate for safety,’ ICRC says after thwarted evacuation
The International Committee of the Red Cross said civilians in Mariupol and elsewhere are “living in desperate situations” — a statement that follows continued fighting and thwarted attempts at evacuation there.
The organization, working as a “humanitarian intermediary,” said it had attempted on Sunday to start the evacuation of about 200,000 people before efforts were interrupted.
Ukrainian officials have said a temporary agreement meant to allow civilians to safety evacuate had broken down.
“We remain in Mariupol and are ready to help facilitate further attempts — if the parties reach an agreement, which is for them alone to implement and respect,” the ICRC said in a statement posted in a series of messages on Twitter.
It added that the people living in Mariupol and other areas “must be protected at all times. They are not a target. … We need safety guarantees to be able to bring them aid.”
In a message on Telegram, the Mariupol city council said the evacuation convoy was unable to leave after Russian forces “began to regroup” and “shell the city heavily.”
“To transport people under such conditions is extremely dangerous,” the message added.
Civilians killed in evacuation attempts near battered bridge in town outside Kyiv
Editor’s note: The visuals in this post contain graphic content.
Civilians were killed Sunday in evacuation attempts near a battered bridge in Irpin, a town outside Kyiv, visuals verified by The Washington Post show.
In a video published Sunday, a man wearing a yellow arm band, usually worn by Ukrainian forces, and carrying a gun over his shoulder can be seen standing across from a church and sidewalk crowded with people carrying suitcases. He takes a few steps toward an intersection before an explosion rips through the middle of the street.
The camera operator ducks into a nearby building, emerging seconds later to a chaotic scene. The area is covered in smoke. Someone runs out of the building and drags the man with the yellow armband out of the street. Soldiers sprint across the intersection to people collapsed on the ground, and someone shouts “Medic!”
Associated Press photos of the aftermath show civilians killed in the attack. The New York Times reported that it was a family of four that was hit.
Other videos published by Reuters from Irpin on Sunday showed heavy shelling, journalists running for cover, and soldiers helping residents escape.
Trump muses about war with Russia, other foreign policy issues in speech to GOP donors
NEW ORLEANS — Former president Donald Trump mused Saturday to the GOP’s top donors that the United States should label its F-22 planes with the Chinese flag and “bomb the s–t out of Russia.”
He also praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as “seriously tough,” claimed he was harder on Vladimir Putin than any other president has been, reiterated his false claims that he won the 2020 election, urged his party to be “tougher” on supposed election fraud, disparaged a number of prominent party opponents and called global warming “a great hoax” that could actually bring a welcome development: more waterfront property.
“And then we say, China did it, we didn’t do it, China did it, and then they start fighting with each other and we sit back and watch,” he said of labeling U.S. military planes with Chinese flags and bombing Russia, which was met with laughter from the crowd of donors, according to a recording of the speech obtained by The Washington Post.
His 84-minute address to about 250 of the Republican Party’s top donors at the elite Four Seasons focused heavily on foreign policy and his claims that the 2020 election was “rigged,” as he ticked through a smorgasbord of topics and perceived enemies, using vulgarities and jokes that often drew raucous laughter. Trump also took pictures with some of the party’s top donors and participated in a pricey roundtable for about 10 of them.
Governments hit back at Russia on Twitter: ‘We can’t stay silent on this one’
When Ukraine was attacked on Twitter, the German embassy couldn’t just stay quiet.
On Twitter, official Russian government accounts defended the country’s actions in invading Ukraine, including one from the Russian embassy in South Africa that read, “We appreciate your support and glad you decided to stand with us today, when Russia, like 80 years ago, is fighting Nazism in Ukraine!”
The tweet thanked South African followers for supposedly sending letters supporting Russia’s invasion. Germany’s embassy in South Africa clapped back on Twitter, calling out Russia for “slaughtering innocent children, women and men for its own gain.”
“It’s definitely not ‘fighting Nazism’,” @GermanEmbassySA tweeted on Saturday. “Shame on anyone who’s falling for this. (Sadly, we’re kinda experts on Nazism.)”
The tweet — which has been largely praised online and shared more than 15,000 times — is one of many posts from usually staid, official government accounts that during the war have shed formality for a distinctly more casual and sharp social media tone, one that is generally more common between individuals or corporate brands snapping back at each other.
MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — Russian shelling has foiled another temporary cease-fire to evacuate civilians from battle zones, Ukrainian officials said, as Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to keep fighting until Ukraine backs down.In the southern city of Mariupol, local officials said getting people out safely was impossible after two rescue efforts collapsed in less than 24 hours, trapping more than 200,000 residents in areas under fire, according to a tally from the International Committee. In Irpin, a town outside the capital, some trying to flee the violence died in an explosion, visuals verified by The Washington Post show. One photo shows an abandoned suitcase in the wreckage.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that more civilian lives were at risk as Russian troops prepared to attack the major port city of Odessa. “This will be a war crime,” he said in an emotional video Sunday. Russia has obliterated sources of heat, electricity and water in residential areas with siege tactics that one Western intelligence official called “almost medieval.”Russian forces also struck a Ukrainian military air base, as well as a commercial airport, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials — strikes that could hinder Ukrainian access to airstrips. A spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry warned foreign nations that hosting Ukrainian combat planes would be viewed as “involvement of those countries in the armed conflict,” remarks that come as Ukrainian officials call on Western allies to supply fighter planes to help repel Moscow’s invasion.Here’s what to knowBritain’s Defense Ministry said that Russia is responding to the surprising “scale and strength” of Ukrainian resistance by targeting residential areas of several cities — Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Mariupol — in an apparent effort to “break Ukrainian morale.”Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the United States is discussing a ban on Russian oil with European partners, a potentially crucial step in the ongoing effort to cripple the Russian economy. Some U.S. lawmakers have expressed support for such a move.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Sunday that the number of foreigners who have signed up to fight for Ukraine in its war against Russia is “approaching 20,000,” and that the volunteers are from 52 countries.1.5 million people have fled the fighting in Ukraine, and at least 364 civilians have been killed, according to U.N. agencies.UNDERSTANDING THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICTWhy cryptocurrency hasn’t become a popular sanctions-dodgerReturn to menuSince Western governments began levying heavy sanctions against Russia last week, some crypto boosters have raised the possibility that the alternate currencies could be a useful tool for banks and other companies that still want to conduct business in the country.“Events like this are exactly why cryptocurrencies were designed,” wrote Tristan Roozendaal, chief executive of Centralex, an Estonian-registered cryptocurrency exchange, in an email to reporters last week, noting crypto made it easy for his company to pay employees in Russia.But larger and more legally questionable transactions are unlikely, according to experts. Maddie Kennedy, a spokeswoman for the crypto data monitoring firm Chainalysis, said the group had seen little activity over the past week to suggest a brisk black market based on crypto. There is “no evidence of large-scale attempts at sanctions evasion,” she said.Among the chief reasons: energy. Massive crypto trades require high levels of energy and computer processing, and there simply is not enough of it to support a Russian financial system that the U.S. Treasury Department says normally trades some $46 billion daily.Another factor is visibility. Because all cryptocurrency transactions take place on one of multiple blockchains — a digital ledger of sorts — they’re visible to regulators.And the fastest blockchains that an entire country’s economy would want to use, like U.S.-based Solana, are even more visible due to their “centralization” — that is, data is concentrated in fewer places.While blockchains are massive (and arcane) and can’t be monitored at all times, frequent large-scale transactions are unlikely to escape detection.“At some point you start moving the currency around and a regulator sees it and it gets frozen,” said Pelle Braendgaard, chief executive of crypto mainstreaming group Notabene, in an interview. In other words, much like the traditional financial system, some people will slip under the radar. Massive evasion tool? Much less likely.Updates continue below advertisementU.N. official says non-European countries may need to help as Ukrainian refugees exceed 1.5 millionReturn to menuMore than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have fled to neighboring countries over the past 10 days, the United Nations high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, said Sunday. He tweeted that the mass exodus is “the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.”Grandi recently predicted that more than 4 million people could be displaced by the conflict in the days to come.Grandi later said that if that if the exodus from Ukraine continues, other countries outside Europe may need to increase their role.“If this number of people grows, we will need more international support and at some point if people stay here for a long period of time, there will have to be other countries offering places to host refugees, even outside Europe,” Grandi said on “Face the Nation,” speaking from Poland near the Ukrainian border.The 1.5 million number is “difficult enough to manage even for relatively stable and prosperous countries in Europe. Imagine, however, if we go further up. And we will.”The majority of those fleeing Ukraine have entered Poland, while others have sought safety in Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia and Romania, according to U.N. data.Grandi said Sunday that he was not especially concerned about political backlash to refugees of the kind seen with Syria and other war-torn areas. “This crisis carries an important message: that anybody can become a refugee very suddenly,” he said.In recent days, Grandi has led calls for support and hailed locals and officials in other countries for welcoming in recent days thousands experiencing “separation, anguish, and loss.”On “Face the Nation,” Grandi also assailed Russia for not upholding its commitment to a cease-fire, backing up Ukrainian officials’ claims that the humanitarian pause has not happened.“Up to now we have not succeeded in getting the necessary guarantees and respect for the cease-fire,” Grandi said. “There is bombardment by the Russian forces.”He called such a cease-fire the only way for convoys to get supplies in and refugees out.As the number of refugees from Ukraine in neighbouring countries reaches 1.2 million I am in Moldova, where the government, local authorities and overall population are making huge efforts to welcome and organize those arriving across the border.Moldova needs more support! pic.twitter.com/9fzj6wRxXF— Filippo Grandi (@FilippoGrandi) March 4, 2022 Updates continue below advertisementMoldova worries it could be Russia’s next targetReturn to menuCHISINAU, Moldova — There have been no air raid sirens in Moldova, no explosions and no casualties, but already some of the turbulence and anxiety of war is starting to build.People trade jittery messages on social media as Russian troops move through neighboring Ukraine. Some Moldovans are stockpiling foreign currency and drawing up plans to flee. Many, seeing how abruptly lives collapsed in Ukraine, say they fear the potential for catastrophe in their own country: All it takes is for Russian President Vladimir Putin to expand his ambitions.Ten days into a conflict that is shifting alliances and upending the world order, the repercussions are hitting most directly in countries like Moldova — post-Soviet nations that balanced for years between the East and West, and are now realizing the middle ground is untenable.In Moldova, the war has accelerated the drive to align fully with Europe. On Thursday, the country placed an application to join the European Union, in what its prime minister described as a vote for “freedom.” Moldova has also strained to accommodate more than 250,000 Ukrainian refugees who have crossed its borders, the prime minister noted. In a visit Sunday to Moldova’s capital, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the country a “powerful” example of a democracy moving forward, not backward.But while Moldova has never felt closer to Europe, it has also never felt more vulnerable to the Kremlin. Russian troops are pushing toward port cities along Ukraine’s southern coast, including Odessa, 30 miles from Moldova’s border. Several days ago, addressing his security council, Belarus’s authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, showed a battle map that showed an arrow pointing toward Moldova.Updates continue below advertisementRussia warns foreign nations on hosting Ukrainian combat planesReturn to menuBy Washington Post Staff12:11 p.m.Russia warned Sunday that foreign countries hosting Ukrainian combat aircraft could be viewed by Moscow as parties to the conflict.“We know for a fact about Ukrainian combat planes which earlier flew to Romania and other neighboring countries,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said Sunday.He added: “We would like to point out that the use of the network of airfields of those countries for the stationing of Ukrainian combat aviation for the further use against the Russian Armed Forces could be viewed as the involvement of those countries in the armed conflict.”The announcement came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presses Western allies to send fighter planes to combat Moscow’s invasion. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the United States is exploring how it might facilitate supplying Ukraine with fighter jets from NATO nations.Updates continue below advertisementU.S. lawmakers say they’re eager to support some of Zelensky’s requests this weekReturn to menuSeveral members of Congress said Sunday that they are ready to step up support for Ukraine when they return to Washington, after President Volodymyr Zelensky made a direct appeal to them over the weekend during a virtual appearance.Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) both said they would support a ban on imports of Russian oil, an idea that appeared to have growing bipartisan agreement. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration was in “very active discussions” with European partners on such a move.Rubio and Manchin said the United States had the ability to ramp up oil production to make up for a Russian ban to prevent raising prices on American consumers. Rubio said such concerns were an “admission” that Putin still has leverage over the United States.Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers also said they endorsed sending Soviet-era fighter jets to counter Russian raids but cautioned against implementing a no-fly zone, which they said could escalate the conflict even further.Zelensky had stopped short of using the phrase “no-fly zone,” according to those on the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the call was private. Instead, he discussed the urgency of “control of the skies” to combat the Russian bombardment.“A no-fly zone has become a catchphrase. I’m not sure many people understand what that means,” Rubio said on ABC. “It’s a willingness to shoot down the aircrafts of the Russian federation, which is basically the beginning of World War III.”Manchin wouldn’t dismiss the idea of taking such a step.“To take anything off the table thinking we might not be able to use things because we’ve already taken them off the table is wrong,” Manchin said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I would take nothing off the table.”Zelensky’s virtual meeting with lawmakers may also push forward additional money for Ukraine. The Biden administration on Thursday requested $10 billion in aid for Ukraine, a move that appears to have bipartisan support. But supporters are worried that funding could get stalled by funding fights over additional money requested to combat the covid pandemic.“My belief is that next week Congress is going to pass an emergency funding bill for Ukraine, putting $10 billion into both additional defensive equipment for Ukraine, but also humanitarian assistance to get civilian out,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said on “Fox News Sunday.” “My hope is that the Europeans will do more as well.”Additional dollars could be directed to Poland and other European allies that are taking in refugees, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said during a separate segment on “Fox News Sunday.”“This is where you see Republicans and Democrats coming together to aid Ukraine and of course provide stability to Europe,” Ernst said.Pradnya Joshi contributed to this report.Updates continue below advertisementRussian forces attack airfields in Ukraine as Zelensky pleads for fighter jetsReturn to menuMUKACHEVO, Ukraine — Russia targeted a military air base and a commercial airport in central Ukraine on Sunday, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials, in attacks that could deny Ukraine usable airstrips as Kyiv presses Western allies to send fighter planes to combat Moscow’s invasion.A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said the military had struck and disabled Ukraine’s Starokostiantyniv military air base, about 150 miles southwest of Kyiv, early Sunday, using long-range, high precision weapons. The airport was among dozens of targets, including a Russian-made air defense system owned by Ukraine, the spokesman said.Later Sunday, in a video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a missile strike on Vinnystia, about 70 miles southeast of the air base, had “completely destroyed the airport.”Zelensky repeated his appeal for allied nations to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. “We repeat every day: Close the sky over Ukraine. Close it for all Russian rockets. For all Russian military aviation. For all these terrorists. Make a humanitarian airspace. Without rockets, without bombs from the air. We are people and this is your humanitarian obligation to protect us.”Failing that, supply “airplanes so that we can protect ourselves,” he added.Updates continue below advertisementPope Francis: ‘This is not only a military operation but a war’Return to menuPope Francis said Sunday that the ongoing crisis in Ukraine is not just what Russia describes as “a military operation” but “a war which is leading to death, destruction and misery.”“War is madness, please stop,” the pontiff said during his weekly address in St. Peter’s Square, where some listening in the crowd were holding the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine, Reuters reported.“In Ukraine rivers of blood and tears are flowing,” the 85-year-old said as he renewed calls for peace. “Let us return to the respect of international law.”Although the pope did not mention Russian President Vladimir Putin or Russia by name, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican, Andriy Yurash, still applauded the pope’s remarks.“Even if the pope did not say the word ‘Russia,’ everyone in the world knows who the aggressor that invaded us is and who started this unprovoked war,” Yurash said.Updates continue below advertisementMoody’s cuts Russia’s credit rating deeper into junk territory, predicting losses for investorsReturn to menuBy Washington Post Staff11:10 a.m.Ratings agency Moody’s has cut Russia’s credit rating on its long-term debt deeper into junk territory, citing the risk of a Russian default, three days after downgrading it six notches.The agency said the risk of a Russian default had increased, explaining that the downgrade was “driven by severe concerns around Russia’s willingness and ability to pay its debt obligations.”It predicted that Russia’s economy would shrink by 7 percent this year and would continue to decline in 2023, with a long-term ruble decline, rising inflation and lower living standards. Moody’s said the ratings outlook was negative, meaning a further downgrade is likely, and predicted “larger than historical average losses for investors.”Russia’s economy is reeling from tougher-than-expected Western sanctions, but also the reluctance of Western firms to stay in Russia, after its invasion of a neighboring sovereign nation.Washington and the European Union have frozen assets that Russia’s central bank holds overseas and cut key Russian banks off from the SWIFT payments system. Meanwhile, hundreds of brands have pulled out of Russia, cut ties or announced plans to withdraw or scale back.Russia’s ruble plunged and Russian stocks on international exchanges fell sharply.Before the invasion, Russian officials shrugged off Western warnings of “sanctions from hell,” saying Russia was used to them and would weather the storm. But officials have been shocked by the seismic impact of the actions to isolate Russia’s finances from the global system. President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that the sanctions were akin to a declaration of war on Russia.Moody’s cut the credit rating to Ca, the second-lowest rating, from B3. On Thursday it was Baa3.S&P has Russia rated at “CCC-minus” and Fitch has it at B, with a further downgrade likely.Updates continue below advertisementZelensky’s famous quote of ‘need ammo, not a ride’ not easily confirmed Return to menuIt’s been one of the most-cited lines of the Russian invasion of Ukraine — a defiant president refusing a U.S. offer to move to a more secure location away from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.Hundreds of news articles have cited the line. It’s appeared repeatedly on television newscasts, such as an “Inside Edition” report on the “global hero.”But, so far, the only evidence for this line is an unnamed U.S. official. It has not been confirmed by either the U.S. government or Zelensky’s office.Blinken signals that a ban on Russian oil could be coming Return to menuOn March 6, officials said they were gathering evidence of potential war crimes in Ukraine and considering banning Russian oil imports. (The Washington Post)Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the United States is eyeing a ban on Russian oil, a potentially crucial step in the ongoing effort to cripple the Russian economy.“We are now talking to our European partners and allies to look in a coordinated way at the prospect of banning the import of Russian oil while making sure that there’s still an appropriate supply of oil on world markets,” he said Sunday morning.As recently as Thursday, the White House had downplayed the possibility.“Our objective and the president’s objective has been to maximize impact on President Putin and Russia while minimizing impact to us and our allies and partners,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. “We don’t have a strategic interest in reducing the global supply of energy, and that would raise prices at the gas pump for the American people.”Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” however, Blinken acknowledged that the winds have shifted. “That’s a very active discussion as we speak,” he said.The European Union has also appeared to pivot after showing previous reluctance. On Friday the group’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said, “Everything remains on the table.” E.U. countries rely more heavily than the United States does on Russian oil imports.Congress has seen a growing call on both sides of the aisle in favor of a ban.The energy sector is critical to Russia’s economy; the country reportedly earned some $63 billion from international oil and gas sales in the third quarter of 2021, the most recent period for which data is available.Also on the show, Blinken elaborated on his call Saturday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and said the Biden administration continues to hope that China will break its silence and speak out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Civilians are ‘living in terror in Mariupol, desperate for safety,’ ICRC says after thwarted evacuation Return to menuThe International Committee of the Red Cross said civilians in Mariupol and elsewhere are “living in desperate situations” — a statement that follows continued fighting and thwarted attempts at evacuation there.The organization, working as a “humanitarian intermediary,” said it had attempted on Sunday to start the evacuation of about 200,000 people before efforts were interrupted.Ukrainian officials have said a temporary agreement meant to allow civilians to safety evacuate had broken down.“We remain in Mariupol and are ready to help facilitate further attempts — if the parties reach an agreement, which is for them alone to implement and respect,” the ICRC said in a statement posted in a series of messages on Twitter.It added that the people living in Mariupol and other areas “must be protected at all times. They are not a target. … We need safety guarantees to be able to bring them aid.”In a message on Telegram, the Mariupol city council said the evacuation convoy was unable to leave after Russian forces “began to regroup” and “shell the city heavily.”“To transport people under such conditions is extremely dangerous,” the message added.Civilians killed in evacuation attempts near battered bridge in town outside KyivReturn to menuEditor’s note: The visuals in this post contain graphic content.Civilians were killed Sunday in evacuation attempts near a battered bridge in Irpin, a town outside Kyiv, visuals verified by The Washington Post show.In a video published Sunday, a man wearing a yellow arm band, usually worn by Ukrainian forces, and carrying a gun over his shoulder can be seen standing across from a church and sidewalk crowded with people carrying suitcases. He takes a few steps toward an intersection before an explosion rips through the middle of the street.The camera operator ducks into a nearby building, emerging seconds later to a chaotic scene. The area is covered in smoke. Someone runs out of the building and drags the man with the yellow armband out of the street. Soldiers sprint across the intersection to people collapsed on the ground, and someone shouts “Medic!”Associated Press photos of the aftermath show civilians killed in the attack. The New York Times reported that it was a family of four that was hit.Journalists ran for cover from heavy shelling on March 6 in the Ukrainian town of Irpin while the military helped residents escape as Russian troops advance towards the capital Kyiv. (Reuters)Other videos published by Reuters from Irpin on Sunday showed heavy shelling, journalists running for cover, and soldiers helping residents escape.Trump muses about war with Russia, other foreign policy issues in speech to GOP donorsReturn to menuNEW ORLEANS — Former president Donald Trump mused Saturday to the GOP’s top donors that the United States should label its F-22 planes with the Chinese flag and “bomb the s–t out of Russia.”He also praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as “seriously tough,” claimed he was harder on Vladimir Putin than any other president has been, reiterated his false claims that he won the 2020 election, urged his party to be “tougher” on supposed election fraud, disparaged a number of prominent party opponents and called global warming “a great hoax” that could actually bring a welcome development: more waterfront property.“And then we say, China did it, we didn’t do it, China did it, and then they start fighting with each other and we sit back and watch,” he said of labeling U.S. military planes with Chinese flags and bombing Russia, which was met with laughter from the crowd of donors, according to a recording of the speech obtained by The Washington Post.His 84-minute address to about 250 of the Republican Party’s top donors at the elite Four Seasons focused heavily on foreign policy and his claims that the 2020 election was “rigged,” as he ticked through a smorgasbord of topics and perceived enemies, using vulgarities and jokes that often drew raucous laughter. Trump also took pictures with some of the party’s top donors and participated in a pricey roundtable for about 10 of them.Governments hit back at Russia on Twitter: ‘We can’t stay silent on this one’ Return to menuWhen Ukraine was attacked on Twitter, the German embassy couldn’t just stay quiet.On Twitter, official Russian government accounts defended the country’s actions in invading Ukraine, including one from the Russian embassy in South Africa that read, “We appreciate your support and glad you decided to stand with us today, when Russia, like 80 years ago, is fighting Nazism in Ukraine!”The tweet thanked South African followers for supposedly sending letters supporting Russia’s invasion. Germany’s embassy in South Africa clapped back on Twitter, calling out Russia for “slaughtering innocent children, women and men for its own gain.”“It’s definitely not ‘fighting Nazism’,” @GermanEmbassySA tweeted on Saturday. “Shame on anyone who’s falling for this. (Sadly, we’re kinda experts on Nazism.)”The tweet — which has been largely praised online and shared more than 15,000 times — is one of many posts from usually staid, official government accounts that during the war have shed formality for a distinctly more casual and sharp social media tone, one that is generally more common between individuals or corporate brands snapping back at each other.