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Putin says Ukraine threatening its statehood as sanctions aim to cripple Russia
Ukraine-Russia war: Russian President Vladimir Putin said the current (Ukrainian) authorities must understand that if they continue to do what they are doing, they are putting in question the future of Ukrainian statehood.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Ukrainian authorities would be responsible if the statehood of their nation came under threat. Amid an intensified military campaign by Russian forces in the east European nation, leading to more sanctions on the Kremlin by the West, Putin said Ukraine’s leadership needs to understand the consequences of their deeds.
"The current (Ukrainian) authorities must understand that if they continue to do what they are doing, they are putting in question the future of Ukrainian statehood," said Putin, adding, "And if this happens, they will be fully responsible."
Live updates on Russia-Ukraine conflict
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine more than a week ago, battering cities and forcing hundreds of civilians to flee the conflict zones, the economic and humanitarian toll of the war has only spiralled.
In the latest efforts to freeze Moscow out of the world economy, US-based card payment giants Visa and Mastercard announced they will suspend operations in Russia, while world leaders vowed to act over the intensifying onslaught.
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Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian military said it was engaged in "fierce battles" with Russian troops for the control of borders at the southern city of Mykolaiv and the Chernihiv in the north.
"The main efforts are focused on defending the city of Mariupol," it said, adding an operation by Ukrainian forces was also under way in the eastern part of the Donetsk region.
Mariupol officials said it would begin efforts from noon on Sunday to evacuate its civilian population, after earlier efforts were scuppered by ceasefire violations.
The strategic city of Mariupol on the Azov Sea has for days been under siege and without electricity, food and water, with stop-start ceasefires.
Meanwhile, Kyiv has urged the West to boost military assistance to the besieged country, including warplanes, with President Volodymyr Zelensky pleading for eastern European neighbours to provide Russian-made planes that his pilots are trained to fly.
Putin has threatened against creating a no-fly zone in Ukraine. This came after Zelensky criticised NATO for ruling out the no-fly zone proposal.
"Any movement in this direction will be considered by us as participation in an armed conflict by that country," Putin said.
(With agency inputs)
