KYIV, Ukraine — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entered its 10th day on Saturday with a cease-fire quickly falling apart in two besieged southern cities and Russian President Vladimir Putin warning that any no-fly zone imposed over Ukrainian skies “would bring catastrophic results not only to Europe, but to the whole world.”
As Russia continued shelling civilian targets and Ukrainian protesters defiantly waved blue and yellow flags in multiple Russian-occupied cities, Putin said Western sanctions that have sent the ruble tumbling are “akin to declaring war” and he also threatened to strip Ukraine of its statehood if it continues to resist the invading army.
“If they continue to do what they are doing, they are calling into question the future of Ukrainian statehood,” Putin said during a televised meeting with flight attendants from Russian airline Aeroflot, which has been forced to ground nearly all of its international flights because of the Western sanctions. “And if this happens, it will be entirely on their conscience.”
