Russian invasion of Ukraine entered its third week, Russian forces appeared to expand the offensive by striking new areas in the west and President Vladimir Putin approved the recruitment of "volunteer" fighters from Syria and elsewhere.The war has forced more than 2.3 million people to flee Ukraine as others try to seek refuge in basements, subway stations and underground shelters.Ukraine's president said 100,000 people were evacuated over the past two days in the north and center of the country.
Humanitarian corridors to facilitate the exodus were agreed to by Russia and Ukraine during ceasefires in those areas.More evacuations are expected Friday, though repeated attempts to reach the besieged city of Mariupol in the south have failed under continued Russian shelling.On Friday, Russia appeared to be pushing its offensive westward with authorities in Ukraine saying airstrikes hit two cities that had been far from Russia’s main targets elsewhere.Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with his Belarus counterpart at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 11, 2022. (Photo by MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images) Western nations have been largely united in punishing Russia economically.
U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to announce Friday an agreement with other nations to revoke Russia’s "most favored nation" trade status, allowing for tariffs to be imposed on Russian imports.The U.S.