Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his desire to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and while US President Joe Biden launched a new attack on the Russians, accusing them of looking for a pretext to use prohibited weapons in Ukraine, Moscow said relations with Washington were on the verge of collapse.

Washington has pledged to provide Ukraine with Soviet-made defense systems that it obtained secretly decades ago, while the Ukrainian president stressed that his fighters are firmly confronting Russian aggression.

On the humanitarian side, the Ukrainian authorities said that 8,057 people were evacuated - Monday - through 7 humanitarian corridors from Ukrainian towns and cities witnessing battles.

Here are the latest developments on the 27th day of this war:

53 minutes ago

Ukrainian President:

  • The Russian enemy is trying to advance, but we are confronting it forcefully.

  • Russian forces deal brutally, and bombed a humanitarian convoy that was intended to evacuate women and children.

57 minutes ago

Russian Foreign Ministry:

We summoned US Ambassador John Sullivan to tell him that US President Joe Biden's statements in which he described his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as a "war criminal" pushed relations between the two countries to the brink of collapse.

Biden said last week that Putin was a "war criminal" for sending tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine and targeting civilians.

Russia stressed that hostile actions against it would receive a "decisive and resolute response."

For his part, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the United States believes it is necessary to maintain channels of communication with Russia, especially "in times of conflict."

"We sought to maintain a diplomatic presence in Moscow," he said.

one hour ago

US President Joe Biden:

  • The Russians are talking about Ukraine having biological and chemical weapons, and this is a sign of their intent to use those weapons.

  • It is not only US companies that are threatened by cyber-attacks, but also the national interest.

  • Earlier, I warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of the consequences of any cyber attacks targeting us or our allies.

  • I called for NATO unity when Putin began massing his troops on the border with Ukraine.

  • I emphasize that NATO was not more united than it is now in the face of the Russian war on Ukraine.