A turning point in the history of our continent. That's how Chancellor Olaf Scholz described Russia's war against Ukraine. Speaking to a special session of parliament, the German leader announced a raft of policy changes that would have been unthinkable just days ago. Germany will drastically strengthen its military and move quickly to eliminate its reliance on Russian energy exports. He put the blame squarely on Russian President Vladimir Putin - who he said had brought decades of peaceful coexistence to an end. Here's some of what he said
. Holding out in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia's military assault verges on genocide - and he's called for Russia to be stripped of its seat on the UN Security Council.
Moscow's forces targeted civilian infrastructure overnight, including gas pipelines - as they stepped up efforts to push further into Ukraine. Moscow's forces have met stiff resistance as they attempt to push further into Ukraine. The mayor of Kyiv says the capital is holding its defense lines and there are no Russian troops in the city. And after reports of heavy fighting in eastern Kharkiv, the regional governor says Ukrainian forces have retaken full control of the city. Russia's latest attacks have targeted civilian infrastructure and the military.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sent tens of thousands of people fleeing their homes since Thursday. Huge crowds have been waiting at train stations to travel to the border and cross into neighboring countries. Scenes from Lviv in western Ukraine show the fear and frustration: There's not enough space on the trains to carry everyone to safety. Men are forced to say goodbye to their families, as they are not allowed to leave because they've been called up to fight. Many of the refugees are headed to Poland.
Ukraine is doing its best to repel the Russian attack by training civilians to fight. Support from the US and other NATO members has also bolstered national defenses. But few believe Ukraine is a match for its much larger neighbor.
Taking active and reserve troops together, Kyiv can draw on more than 1 million men and women. Russia has more than three million. Ukraine has less than 2,500 tanks, compared to Russia's 13,000.
And in the air, Ukraine has just 67 attack aircraft in contrast to Russia's 1,500. In Berlin a demonstration calling for restoring peace in Ukraine is underway, with estimates of 20,000 or more people taking part in the protest.
The demonstration is organized by a variety of groups including workers' unions, religious groups and environmental organizations. Protesters are calling on Russia to immediately withdraw from Ukraine and to respect democracy and human rights. In the past days there have been numerous demonstrations across the world in support of Ukraine and demanding an immediate end to all violence.
