{O/C} The fragile ceasefire in Ukraine is coming apart at the seams.
Moscow breached the temporary truce by resuming its shelling. This had the Ukrainian leader calling on the US to supply additional materiel to his country.
Now, Ukraine's future is in limbo as Putin warned that Ukraine could soon lose its sovereignty.
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Bereft of hope, mothers mourned their slain children, with scenes of wounded soldiers fitted with tourniquets now prevalent across Ukraine.
As Ukraine goes down the tubes, scores of men lined up in the capital to join the fight against the invader, Russia.
Yet in an obvious show of defiance, Putin continued to pin the blame entirely on the Ukrainian leadership in his first extended remarks about the war.
Putin described the West's seemingly formidable sanctions as tantamount to a declaration of war, lashing out at Western sanctions that have crippled Russia's economy and sent the ruble nosediving.
Additionally, he warned Ukraine losing its statehood is of its own making.
As Russia's unrelenting assault renders parts of Ukraine besieged, Ukrainian officials accused Russia of violating a fragile truce meant to prevent civilians being caught in the crossfire, sucking the life out of Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials described Russia as the miscreant whose artillery fire and airstrikes that were supposed to be banned by the truce had prevented residents from fleeing.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has exhorted the U.S. to furnish his country with additional planes.
Putin responded by accusing Ukraine of sabotaging the evacuation effort.
This, after the mayor of Mariupol said thousands of residents were granted safe passage to leave when shelling resumed and intensified.
A third round of talks aimed at calling a halt to the deadly conflict is due to be held tomorrow. But the location where it will take place remains shrouded in secrecy.
Meantime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tried to throw in his lot with the European Union in an effort to cement the country's fraternal relationship with the West.
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