Biden may boost troops in NATO countries near Ukraine

More than 3.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine, according to the United Nations, and bombarded cities are in a humanitarian crisis.On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces had captured people fleeing Mariupol after agreeing on a humanitarian corridor.In Russia, President Vladimir Putin has tightened his grip at home while stoking fears he may turn to more aggressive tactics abroad, with leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny sentenced to a further nine years in a maximum-security penal colony on Tuesday.See full coverage here.Tim StellohRussian forces captured people fleeing the besieged city of Mariupol after agreeing on an escape route, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday night.Zelenskyy said in a speech that emergency services employees were taken prisoner near the town of Manhush, 12 miles west of Mariupol.“For more than a week now we have been trying to organize stable humanitarian corridors for Mariupol residents,” Zelenskyy said. “Our promise to children with catastrophic diseases extends around the globe, and we are honored to play a part in helping these families move to safety to continue their children’s treatment.”ReutersThe Kremlin on Tuesday rejected U.S. warnings that it may be preparing to conduct cyberattacks in response to Western sanctions, and said it did not engage in "banditry."U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday told businesses to do more to protect themselves against possible cyberattacks by Russia, warning there was "evolving intelligence" that Moscow was exploring options on that front.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "The Russian Federation, unlike many Western countries, including the United States, does not engage in state-level banditry."Russia has previously rejected similar allegations, including accusations that it was responsible for hacks on Ukrainian banking and government websites in February.Chantal Da SilvaAn increasingly dire situation is unfolding in the Russian-occupied city of Kherson, where food and medical supplies have "almost run out," Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned.Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said in a Twitter statement that Kherson’s 300,000 residents were facing "a humanitarian catastrophe owing to the Russian army’s blockade.""Food and medical supplies have almost run out, yet Russia refuses to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians," he said."Russia’s barbaric tactics must be stopped before it is too late!" he said. Replying to Zelenskyy, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi described Ukraine's resistance to Russia's invasion as "heroic" and vowed to continue to provide support for refugees as well as military aid.Anisha KukrejaUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with Pope Francis about the escalating situation in Ukraine on Tuesday.In a tweet, Zelenskyy said he spoke with the pope about the "difficult humanitarian situation" in Ukraine "and the blocking of rescue corridors by Russian troops.""The mediating role of the Holy See in ending human suffering would be appreciated," he said.The pope has repeatedly expressed concerns over the conflict in Ukraine and called for an end to the fighting. Noting Russian claims of Ukraine having biological and chemical weapons, Biden said, "That’s a clear sign [Putin] is considering using both of those."The president also warned of potential cyberattacks from Russia, warning that "the magnitude of Russia’s cyber capacity is fairly consequential, and it’s coming."ReutersUkraine needs a Marshall Plan to deal with the consequences of Russia's invasion, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Tuesday."Our support for the (Ukrainian) people's fight for freedom will continue," Lindner said in a speech to the Bundestag lower house of parliament as he called for a Marshall Plan, referencing the U.S. program that provided aid to Western Europe after World War II."Our solidarity with our European neighbor has a lasting basis and that's why we need an international Marshall Plan for Ukraine," he said.NBC NewsThis Maxar satellite image taken on Saturday and released on Monday shows burning apartment buildings in northeastern Mariupol, Ukraine.Anisha KukrejaUkraine has now seen more than 3.5 million people fleeing to other countries, according to the United Nations refugee agency.As of Tuesday morning, the figure stood at 3,556,924, with more than 2 million people seeking refuge in neighboring Poland and more than 500,000 crossing into Romania, according to the latest data from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.Millions have also been displaced within Ukraine, with many fleeing besieged cities. The United Nations on Monday reported that about 6.5 million people were internally displaced.“Many of those displaced are particularly vulnerable, pregnant and breastfeeding women, elderly persons, those with disabilities, chronic illnesses and people directly affected by violence,” the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration said.ReutersA Russian court found jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny guilty of large-scale fraud and contempt of court Tuesday, a move likely to see the time that President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic spends in jail extended by years.Navalny is already serving a 2 1/2-year sentence at a prison camp east of Moscow for parole violations related to charges he says were fabricated to thwart his political ambitions.In the latest criminal case against him, which he has also dismissed as politically motivated, he could have up to 13 years added to that sentence.Prosecutors had asked the court to send him to a maximum-security penal colony for 13 years on charges of fraud and contempt of court.The Associated PressAnisha KukrejaA young girl who won hearts after a video of her singing "Let It Go" from the film "Frozen" in a bomb shelter in Kyiv went viral has now sought shelter in Poland, where she performed a rendition of the Ukrainian national anthem Sunday.Amellia, 7, sang the national anthem in front of thousands of spectators at the "Together With Ukraine" concert, which was organized as a show of solidarity with Ukraine. On Tuesday, he criticized Russia's decision to end the talks, which have made little progress in seven decades despite more than 20 meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.“The current situation is entirely the result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and for them to shift this onto Japan-Russia relations is extremely unjust and absolutely unacceptable,” Kishida said.The Associated PressUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday he was prepared to discuss a commitment from Ukraine not to seek NATO membership in exchange for a cease-fire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and a guarantee of Ukraine’s security.“It’s a compromise for everyone: for the West, which doesn’t know what to do with us with regard to NATO; for Ukraine, which wants security guarantees; and for Russia, which doesn’t want further NATO expansion,” Zelenskyy said late Monday in an interview with Ukrainian television channels.He also repeated his call for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Such actions are a gross violation of international law, in particular international humanitarian law,” the ministry said.It also appealed to the international community to condemn the “illegal removal of children,” put more strain on Russia and “stop the barbaric war against the Ukrainian people.”Chantal Da SilvaUkrainian forces have continued to repulse Russian efforts to occupy the besieged city of Mariupol, despite "heavy fighting," Britain's Defense Ministry said in an intelligence update Tuesday. On Monday, Kyiv rejected demands from Russia to surrender the key port city, where as many as 300,000 people have been trapped without access to water, heat or medicine amid a weekslong bombardment.Britain's Defense Ministry said Russian forces elsewhere in Ukraine had "endured yet another day of limited progress with most forces largely stalled in place."Several Ukrainian cities continue to fall under heavy Russian air and artillery bombardment, it noted, with the United Nations reporting that more than 10 million Ukrainians have fled Russia's invasion.