THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Russian leader escalated his threats as Ukrainian forces continued to resist. Protests broke out in the first major city captured by Russia. A limited cease-fire collapsed in a besieged city. Israel’s prime minister visits Moscow.
LVIV, Ukraine — As his troops continued to run into stiff resistance in Ukraine, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia delivered an ominous message to Ukrainians on Saturday, telling government leaders they might lose their statehood and likening the withering sanctions imposed on his country to a “declaration of war.”
“The current leadership needs to understand that if they continue doing what they are doing, they risk the future of Ukrainian statehood,” Mr. Putin said. He also said any third-party countries that tried to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be considered enemy combatants. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has beseeched Western countries to declare such a no-fly zone.
Mr. Putin issued his threats as Ukrainians across the country continued to engage in defiant displays of patriotism, even in places that have been overtaken by the Russians. In Kherson, the first major city to fall to Russian troops, hundreds of protesters gathered in the central square at 10 a.m. on Saturday, many waving Ukrainian flags, according to video streamed live from the scene and verified by The New York Times. » |Marc Santora | Saturday, March 5, 2022
