Ukraine War: Kyiv stands encircled by Russian forces. (File)
A cameraman for Fox News, Pierre Zakrzewski, was killed outside the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv while his colleague Benjamin Hall was wounded. Ukraine capital Kyiv is set to impose a 35-hour curfew from Tuesday night, the city's mayor announced today amid fresh Russian attacks. Kyiv stands encircled by Russian forces and the city has lost an estimated half of its 3.5-million pre-war population.
Meanwhile, amid more sanctions announced by the West, Russia played a reciprocal move by barring US President Joe Biden and a dozen other top officials from entering the country.
Across Ukraine, Russia's invasion has continued to take a bloody toll, destroying cities and ensuring that many lives will never be the same again.
The United Nations estimates over three million people have fled Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale land and air assault on February 24, most of them to Poland, struggling to provide for the arrivals.
Here are the Highlights on Ukraine-Russia War:
Warsaw seeks NATO 'peace mission' to help UkrainePoland on Tuesday called for a NATO peace mission "protected by armed forces" to help Ukraine.
"This cannot be an unarmed mission," Vice Premier Jaroslaw Kaczynski said. "It must seek to provide humanitarian and peaceful aid."
Poland's Kaczynski calls for peacekeeping mission in Ukraine
An international peacekeeping mission should be sent to operate in Ukraine, the leader of Poland's ruling party said on Tuesday during a press conference in Kyiv alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Russia calls for UN Council vote on Ukraine-linked 'humanitarian' resolution
Moscow's envoys to the United Nations on Tuesday called for a Security Council vote on a resolution it has drafted about the "deteriorating humanitarian situation" in Ukraine, where Russian troops have launched an all-out assault.
Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said he regretted that France and Mexico opted not to present a draft resolution on humanitarian aid to the Council, and that Moscow would put forth its "own draft" for a vote.
U.S. providing over $186 million in additional Ukraine refugee aid - Blinken
The United States is providing over $186 million in additional humanitarian assistance to support refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine and those internally displaced by the conflict, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday.
Slovakia approves NATO deployment on Ukraine's doorstep
Slovakia's parliament Tuesday approved the deployment of up to 2,100 NATO troops in the country after Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine.
The force would initially be some 1,200 troops from the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, the United States, Poland and Slovenia as part of a NATO "enhanced forward presence" and would include a Patriot air defence system, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said on Monday.
Ukraine War: Russian forces press in on Kyiv as talks resume
Russian forces pressed in on Kyiv Tuesday with a series of strikes on residential buildings that killed four people in the Ukrainian capital, despite a fresh round of talks aimed at halting the war.
In the highest-level EU delegation to go to Kyiv since the war began, the leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia travelled to the besieged capital in a sign of support for Ukraine.
Ukraine Russia War Live: Kharkiv Mayor Says Over 600 Buildings DestroyedMore than 600 buildings have been destroyed in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city in the east of the country, since the start of Russia's invasion, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a televised interview on Tuesday. "Schools, nurseries, hospitals, clinics have been destroyed. The Russian army is constantly shelling (us) from the ground and the air," he said. (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live Updates: Turkey Says Minister To Visit Russia, Ukraine This Week
Turkey's top diplomat Mevlut Cavusoglu will fly to Russia and Ukraine this week as Ankara facilitates ceasefire talks between the two warring sides, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. "We are sending our foreign minister to Russia today (Tuesday). He will hold talks in Moscow tomorrow. He will travel to Ukraine on Thursday," Erdogan told journalists after a cabinet meeting. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: US President Biden To Attend EU Summit In Brussels Next WeekUS President Joe Biden is to travel to Brussels for an EU summit next Thursday, an EU official has said, with Russia's war in Ukraine expected to top the agenda. The gathering on March 24 of the US leader with his 27 European counterparts will highlight the West's coordinated response to Moscow. (AFP)
Ukraine War: NATO Chief Says Its Members To Meet In Brussels On March 24NATO leaders will meet in Brussels on March 24 to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the alliance's chief wrote on Twitter. "I have convened an extraordinary Summit on 24 March at NATO HQ," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote. "We will address Russia's invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATO's deterrence & defence. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together." (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live: EU Bans Exports Of Champagne, Luxury Cars, Apparel To RussiaThe EU has banned exports of champagne, high-end cars, fashion apparel, expensive electronics and sports gear to Russia as part of a new round of sanctions on Moscow for its war in Ukraine. The list of items was published in the European Union's Official Journal, which announces legal decisions by the 27-nation bloc. (AFP)
Ukraine War: Russia Launches 'Exit Procedure' From Council Of Europe Rights GroupRussia's foreign ministry said Tuesday it was launching the procedure to exit the Council of Europe, as pressure grew for its expulsion from the pan-European rights group. The ministry posted a statement on "launching the procedure to exit the Council of Europe" on its Telegram account, saying it had given notification of its departure to the Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric.
Ukraine War Live: Ukraine Says Nearly 100 Children Died Since Russia's InvasionNearly a hundred children have died in the war that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Canadian lawmakers on Tuesday. The southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol was left without means of communication and was nearly running out of food, Zelenskiy said in a virtual address to Canadian lawmakers. He added that 97 children had been reported dead in total since the war began. (Reuters)
Live: Ukraine Says Preparing $850 Million War-Time Loan Programme For FarmersUkrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on Tuesday the government would finance a loan programme for farmers worth 25 billion hryvnias ($846 million) as part of a raft of new measures to ease the economic shock of war. In a video address, Shmygal also outlined new tax breaks for small and medium-sized businesses that were approved earlier by parliament. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: Fox News Cameraman Killed Near Kyiv, Reporter InjuredA cameraman for Fox News, Pierre Zakrzewski, has been killed in Ukraine, the US network said Tuesday. Zakrzewski was killed and his colleague Benjamin Hall was wounded when their vehicle was struck by incoming fire in Horenka, outside of Kyiv, on Monday, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said in a statement. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: Russian TV Protester On Trial, Faces 10 Days In Prison: CourtA Russian editor who protested Moscow's military action in Ukraine during a prime-time news broadcast on state TV was in court Tuesday, facing 10 days in jail for the demonstration. Marina Ovsyannikova, a state television employee who barged onto the set of Russia's most-watched evening news broadcast holding a poster reading "No War", went on trial for breaching protest laws, a Moscow court representative told news agency AFP.
Ukraine War: Russia Says It Sanctioned Joe Biden, Several Top US Officials
Russia sanctions Biden and several top US officials: minister (AFP)
Ukraine Says Satellite Outage Caused "Huge Communication Loss" At War's Outset
A senior Ukrainian cybersecurity official said that the digital sabotage that hit Viasat's KA-SAT network last month caused a massive communications outage at the outset of Russia's invasion. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Victor Zhora said he could not reveal much about the incident, which crippled tens of thousands of satellite modems across Europe on the morning of February 24, just as Russian armor pushed into Ukraine. Zhora said that it was "a really huge loss in communications in the very beginning of war." (Reuters)
Ukraine Live News: Ukraine Must Recognise It Will Not Join NATO, Says PresidentUkraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that his country should accept that it will not become a member of the US-led NATO military alliance, a key Russian concern it used to justify its invasion. "Ukraine is not a member of NATO. We understand that. We have heard for years that the doors were open, but we also heard that we could not join. It's a truth and it must be recognised," Zelensky said during a video conference with military officials. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: US Renews Sanctions On President Of Russia Ally BelarusThe United States on Tuesday reauthorized sanctions against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as it seeks to punish countries that supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US Treasury described Lukashenko as "the head of a corrupt government in Belarus whose patronage network benefits his inner circle and regime," and Washington also imposed sanctions on his wife. (AFP)
Ukraine War: 3 Indians Stranded In Ukraine Evacuated Via Moscow: Centre
The Ministry of External Affairs today informed that three Indians stranded in Kherson city of Ukraine have been evacuated and boarded their flight back home. The ministry further informed that the Indian embassy in Moscow facilitated the transit and accommodation of these citizens. (ANI)
NATO Says It's Concerned Russia Could Stage "False Flag" Operation In Ukraine
NATO is concerned Russia might use chemical weapons in a "false flag" attack as part of its invasion of Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday. "We are concerned Moscow could stage a false flag operation in Ukraine, possibly with chemical weapons," Stoltenberg told a press conference. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Ukraine Says It Raised $185 Million At Debt Auction For War EffortUkraine raised 5.4 billion hryvnias ($185 million) on Tuesday at a third auction of local one-year bonds to raise money for its fight against Russian forces, the finance ministry said in a statement. After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the Ukrainian government said it hoped to raise about $1.36 billion through new hryvnia bond issues. (Reuters)
Ukraine Russia War Live Updates: Ukraine Parliament Extends Martial Law By A Month
Ukraine's parliament voted on Tuesday to extend martial law for another 30 days from March 26, approving a bill submitted by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The war in Ukraine began on February 24 when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he called a "special military operation," the biggest attack on a European state since World War 2. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live Updates: Canada Imposes Sanctions On 15 Russian OfficialsCanada said today it was imposing sanctions on 15 Russian officials who enabled and supported President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine to apply additional pressure on Moscow to reverse course. The new sanctions were announced ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's expected virtual address to the Canadian parliament at 11:15 am (1515 GMT). (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live: Italy Warns Of Russian Software, Urges DiversificationItaly's cybersecurity agency recommended Tuesday that users of Russian software diversify their wares, warning of a potential "technological risk" following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. While noting there had been no evidence of a drop in quality of technological products and services supplied by Russian firms to date, and without mentioning specific names of companies, it urged caution. (AFP)
Ukraine War: Red Cross Says Buses Ready To Evacuate Civilians From Ukraine's SumyMore than 70 buses are ready in the besieged city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine to evacuate civilians who have gathered ahead of a "safe passage" operation which the Red Cross hopes to start on Tuesday, a spokesperson said. "People have assembled, we hope it will go ahead as planned," Watson, spokesperson of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), told Reuters in Geneva. "We are hoping at the very least to start this operation today." (Reuters)
Russia Says Will Offer Its Own UN Resolution On Ukraine Humanitarian SituationRussia will put forth its own draft of a resolution regarding humanitarian situation in Ukraine, Moscow's ambassador to the United Nations said on Tuesday. Answering a reporter's question, ambassador Vassily Nebenzia also said Russia will stop its invasion when the goals of its special military operation are achieved in Ukraine, including demilitarization. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: Ukraine Civilian Death Count Rises To 691, Including 48 Children: UN
The United Nations human rights office said today that the latest confirmed civilian death count in Ukraine is 691. Besides, 1,143 have been injured since Russia's invasion began 20 days ago, it said. The death count, which includes 48 children, was up from at least 636, according to the previous report on Monday from UN human rights monitors in the country. The UN said the true civilian casualty figures are believed to be "considerably higher", due to intense hostilities in some areas and reporting delays, including from Izium in the Kharkiv region, the southern city of Mariupol, and Volnovakha in the Donetsk region. (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live Updates: Kyiv Says Ukraine-Russia Conflict Talks ResumeA senior Ukrainian negotiator said today that talks between Moscow and Kyiv on ending nearly three weeks of fighting in Ukraine had restarted, with both sides having signalled progress. "Negotiations are ongoing," a member of the Ukraine delegation and presidential aide, Mykhailo Podolyak, wrote on Twitter, adding that his side would be pushing for a "ceasefire (and) withdrawal of troops from the territory of the country". (AFP)
Ukraine Live News: Ukraine Lawmaker Says 3 Journalists Killed In WarThree journalists have been killed and over 30 others wounded in Ukraine since Russia invaded its pro-Western neighbour on February 24, the Ukrainian parliament's human rights chief said Tuesday. "At least 35 journalists have become victims" of Russian forces, including three who died, Lyudmyla Denisova wrote on Telegram. US reporter Brent Renaud was shot dead on Sunday in a frontline suburb of Kyiv. Ukrainian journalist Evgeny Sakun died in a strike on a Kyiv television tower and Viktor Dudar, another Ukrainian, died in fighting close to the southern port city of Mykolaiv, she said. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: Spain Detains Yacht Linked To Russian Oligarch, Says Report
Spanish authorities today detained a yacht called Lady Anastasia owned by Russian oligarch Alexander Mikheyev, who is under European Union sanctions, a police source said. The yacht cannot leave a marina in Mallorca, where it is now moored, the police source and the Transportation Ministry said, confirming an earlier report from sailboat and yacht magazine Gaceta Nautica. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Ukraine Says 2,000 Cars Leave Mariupol Via Humanitarian CorridorAbout 2,000 cars have been able to leave the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol and a further 2,000 are waiting to leave, the city council said in an online post on Tuesday. "As of 14:00 (1200 GMT), it is known that 2,000 cars have left Mariupol," it said. (Reuters)
Ukraine Russia War Live: Ukraine Says Death Count From Kyiv Air Strikes Rises To 4
Four people have been confirmed killed after air strikes hit Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, on Tuesday morning, mayor Vitali Klitschko said. "Rescuers are still extinguishing the flames from early morning," he said on the Telegram messaging app. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: Allies Join G7's WTO Stance Towards Russia, Says EU Trade Chief
Nine other countries have joined the G7 nations in stripping Moscow of its privileged trade treatment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis said on Tuesday. The G7 nations announced on Friday they were revoking Russia's "most favoured nation" (MFN) status, clearing the way for them to hit Russian imports with higher tariffs than applied to other WTO partners or to ban certain Russian goods entirely. European Commission vice-president Dombrovskis said in a statement that Albania, Australia, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia and South Korea would also stop according Russia MFN status. (Reuters)
Russia Limits Grain Exports To Ex-Soviet RepublicsRussia has introduced restrictions on the export of grains, of which it is a major supplier, to four former Soviet countries to secure domestic supplies and avoid a spike in prices. "Russia is introducing a temporary ban on the exportation of grains to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union," the government's press service said in a statement late on Monday. The EEU is a Moscow-led trade club of ex-Soviet republics, which includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. (AFP)
Ukraine Russia War Live: 2 Charged In Slovakia With Spying For RussiaSlovakia has charged a former military academy officer and another man with espionage for Russia, police and a special prosecutor said on Tuesday. The announcement comes a day after the NATO country expelled three Russian diplomats. Russia said it would respond to what it called an unjustified expulsion. (AFP)
Help Yourself By Helping Us, Ukraine President Tells Northern European Leaders
Europe must protect its own security by helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told a meeting of Joint Expeditionary Force leaders in London via video link on Tuesday, urging them to send more weapons. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hosting a summit of Nordic and Baltic leaders to discuss European defence and security. "We all are the targets of Russia and everything will go against Europe if Ukraine won't stand so I would like to ask you to help yourself by helping us," Zelenskiy told the leaders. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: Woman Who Protested On Russian TV Should Not Face Reprisals: UN
The United Nations human rights office called on Russian authorities to make sure that an anti-war protester who interrupted Channel One television is not punished for exercising her right to free speech. The Kremlin said on Tuesday that the actions of a woman who interrupted a live news bulletin on Russia's state TV Channel One on Monday night to denounce the war in Ukraine amounted to "hooliganism". (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live: Ukrainian Region Issues Country-Wide Air Raid WarningThe northern Ukrainian region of Chernihiv issued a warning of country-wide air attacks on Tuesday, urging citizens to head to shelters. It was not immediately clear whether other regions had issued similar warnings of new air strikes by Russian forces that invaded Ukraine on February 24. "Attention. Air raid ALL UKRAINE! Take shelter!," said the warning, shared in an online post. (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live: One Child Becoming A Refugee Every Second In Ukraine, Says UN
Some 1.4 million children have now fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24, meaning nearly one child a second has become a refugee, the UN said Tuesday. Fresh numbers from the International Organization for Migrantion (IOM) showed Tuesday that more than three million people have now fled Ukraine. Nearly half of them are thus children. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: UK Slaps Heavy Tariffs On Russian Imports, Including VodkaThe UK government has imposed an additional 35 per cent import tariff on a swathe of Russian goods, including vodka, and banned exports of luxury products because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. "We want to cause maximum harm to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's war machine while minimising the impact on UK businesses," the Department for International Trade said in a statement. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Over 3 Million Refugees Flee Ukraine War, Says UN
Over three million people have now fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24, the United Nations said Tuesday. "We have now reached the three-million mark in terms of movement of people out of Ukraine," Paul Dillon, spokesman for the UN's International Organization for Migration, told reporters in Geneva. (AFP)
Kyiv to impose 36-hour curfew from late Tuesday
Ukraine's capital Kyiv will impose a 36-hour curfew from Tuesday night amid a "difficult and dangerous moment" after several Russian strikes, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
British PM says West must end Russian energy 'addiction'
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on Tuesday for the West to end its "addiction" to Russian energy, which he says allows President Vladimir Putin to "blackmail" the world.
Ukrainian presidential adviser says Ukraine war is at a crossroadsAn adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that the war in Ukraine was at a crossroads that could lead to an agreement at talks with Russia or a new Russian offensive. "We are at a crossroads. Either we will agree at the current talks or the Russians will make a second attempt (at an offensive) and then there will be talks again," adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said.
China says G20 is not an appropriate forum to discuss Ukraine issueThe G20 grouping of nations is not an appropriate forum to discuss the Ukraine issue, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry told a regular news conference in the Chinese capital on Tuesday.
The G20, or Group of 20, consists of 19 countries, including China and the European Union. Its next summit is set for October on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.
Polish, Czech, Slovenian Prime Ministers To Visit Kyiv TodayThe Polish, Czech and Slovenian prime ministers will visit Kyiv on Tuesday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Polish government said in a statement.
"The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and to present a broad package of support for the Ukrainian state and society," the statement said.
Ukraine aims to deliver aid to Mariupol and open more humanitarian corridorsUkraine plans to open nine "humanitarian corridors" on Tuesday to evacuate civilians from areas besieged by Russian forces and will try to deliver humanitarian supplies to encircled Mariupol, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
Vitaliy Koval, the governor of the northern region of Rivne, said separately that the death toll from a Russian air strike on a television tower in his region on Monday had risen to at least 19.
Russia says there will be no domestic food shortagesRussia said on Tuesday there was no risk of a food shortage on the domestic market and cautioned consumers against rushing out to stock up on staples after the West slapped sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia's economy is facing its gravest crisis since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union after the United States and Europe cut Russia off from swathes of the global economy due to Moscow's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Residential areas hit in Kyiv, at least two dead Strikes on residential areas in Kyiv killed at least two people early on Tuesday, emergency services said, as Russian troops intensified their attacks on the Ukrainian capital.
Two bodies were pulled from the rubble after a strike on a 16-storey building in the Sviatoshynsky district, the emergency service said in a Facebook post, adding that 27 people had been rescued from the site.
Blasts rock Kyiv as talks with Russia to resume
A series of powerful explosions rocked Kyiv early Tuesday even as talks between Ukraine and Russia were set to resume. At least three large blasts were heard in the centre of the capital early Tuesday, and an AFP journalist saw a column of smoke rising.
China denies US claim that Russia asked for help in UkraineChina denied on Tuesday claims by US officials that Russia had sought military assistance in Ukraine and accused Washington of spreading "malicious disinformation" that risked escalating the conflict.
"The US has repeatedly spread malicious disinformation against China on the Ukraine issue," the Chinese embassy in London told Reuters in a statement.
China Says It Wants to Avoid US Sanctions Over Russia's War
China wants to avoid being impacted by U.S. sanctions over Russia's war, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, in one of Beijing's most explicit statements yet on American penalties that are contributing to a historic market selloff.
Loud explosions heard in centre of Ukraine capital Kyiv
At least three powerful explosions were heard in the centre of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv Tuesday morning, AFP journalists said, although the cause was not immediately known.
Russia-Ukraine War: The Weapon Systems Being UsedAs the Russian invasion of Ukraine neared its 20th day, failing to shake off questions about its success, the Russian government on Monday issued yet another statement that its operation was going to plan.
UN chief says in contact with countries to stop Russia-Ukraine warUnderlining how Ukraine is being "decimated before the eyes of the world", UN chief on Monday warned that a meltdown of the global economy due to the conflict is provoking a hunger crisis that is hitting the poorest, hardest.
Addressing the media outside the Security Council chamber in New York, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that with each passing hour in Ukraine, the death and destruction is getting worse: "Whatever the outcome, this war will have no winners, only losers."
NASA insists space station unaffected by Russian war NASA insisted tensions linked to the war in Ukraine had no impact on International Space Station operations or the planned return of an American astronaut aboard a Russian capsule later this month. Mark Vande Hei is due to fly to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule with cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov on March 30 after 355 days in space, a new US record
Ukraine launches website for cryptocurrency donations The Ukrainian government on Monday launched a website in partnership with crypto-firms FTX and Everstake that will funnel donations to Ukraine's central bank as it combats a devastating invasion by Russia.
On the "Aid for Ukraine" website, users can currently offer donations in 10 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, ether, tether and dogecoin.
Korean Air says to reroute flights that used Russian airspaceKorean Air Lines said on Tuesday it will reroute its flights to Europe and eastern North America that used Russian airspace, citing operational challenges and safety concerns.
The airline said it will also temporarily suspend all of its passenger and cargo services to and from Moscow and Vladivostok until the end of April.
UK Says Russia Could Launch Chemical Attack On UkraineBritain's Defence Ministry said in a tweet on Monday that Russia could be planning to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine in response to a staged fake attack on Russian troops.
It cited no evidence to support the assertion in what it called an intelligence update. US officials have made similar statements.
President Zelensky To Address Full US Congress On Russia-Ukraine War
Ukraine's president will deliver a virtual address to Congress on Wednesday as lawmakers bid to rachet up pressure on the White House to take a tougher line over Russia's invasion.