The US sent armor to Europe, Russia entered Mariupol, Ukraine

“The US has agreed to provide a company of Stryker armored fighting vehicles. This is a strong signal to all of our allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),” Petkov said at a press conference held on March 19, where the delegates were present. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on March 19. Photo: Reuters

“I would like to emphasize that Bulgaria has established and is leading a multinational NATO combat group. This is an important step and we fully support it,” Austin told Channel News Asia.

In addition, the Bulgarian Prime Minister in the above press conference also announced that the country will continue to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine and accept refugees, but they will not consider sending weapons to the Kiev government due to fear will escalate the war.

Russian troops continue to advance deep into Mariupol, Ukraine

“There is intense fighting in the city center. Tanks, artillery and many other weapons are shelling the area. Our armed forces are doing everything they can to hold defensive positions in the city, but the enemy numbers overwhelm us. It’s sad,” Mayor Mariupol Vadym Boychenko told Al Jazeera news agency.

Meanwhile, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Oleksiy Arestovych, said that the closest units to Mariupol are also located about 100km away, and are “struggling against overwhelming enemy forces”.

Elsewhere, Zelensky warned that Russia’s war on Ukraine will cost the country for generations. “There have been 14,000 Russian soldiers killed in battle and tens of thousands of others injured or disabled. Those are the prices Russia has to pay for carrying out the attack,” the Ukrainian leader said.

Poland wants the EU to stop trade with Russia

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on March 19 that Poland had asked the European Union to impose a complete ban on trade with Russia.

“We are proposing to add a trade blockade to the sanctions package as soon as possible, including their seaports, as well as a ban on land trade. Cutting off trade with Russia completely, will force them to consider whether to stop the war in Ukraine,” Al Jazeera news agency quoted Morawiecki as saying while visiting an ammunition factory in Lubiczow. near Warsaw, Poland.

“This issue is not only about the life and death of tens of thousands of people, or maybe even hundreds of thousands of people, but it concerns the sovereign state of Ukraine as well as the security of NATO. We must flaunt our strength and determination, or else we will pay a higher price in the near future,” added Morawiecki.

Future of Ukrainian evacuees in Poland ‘uncertain’

Al Jazeera news agency quoted human rights activist Monika Matus as saying that many of the displaced people from Ukraine did not know where their fate would be.

“Many major cities in Poland now have enough shelter and food to provide for evacuees. Most of them were well received by the Polish people, but we knew that things couldn’t go on like this forever. Everything is only temporary. Most of the evacuees don’t know what’s going on, or where they should go,” activist Matus said.

“We can be sure that not all of the displaced will get a job, or qualify their children to go to Polish schools,” added Matus.

>>> Update Russia – Ukraine war today

Tuan Tran