Ukraine-Russia war live updates: Biden calls Putin a 'murderous ...

ProfileSectionstvFeaturedMore From NBCFollow NBC NewsRussia's war in Ukraine entered its fourth week Thursday with civilian areas battered from the air, Moscow's military offensive stalled on the ground and little sign of an imminent end to the conflict or the humanitarian crisis it has fueled.Ukraine accused Russian forces of bombing a theater in besieged Mariupol that was sheltering hundreds of people and, according to satellite images from the U.S. government-linked technology firm Maxar, appeared to have the word "CHILDREN" written outside the building in huge white letters.The fate of those inside was not known, but Russia's bombardment of its democratic neighbor has already forced more than 3 million people to flee and stoked an intense global backlash. President Joe Biden labeled Russian President Vladimir Putin "a war criminal" on Wednesday, and matched his rhetoric with a promise of fresh military support for Kyiv after its leader pleaded with the United States and its allies to do more to help his country defend itself against the Russian onslaught.Washington has stopped short of fulfilling some of Ukraine's main requests, fearing an escalation into a broader European conflict, but in an interview with NBC News after his address to Congress, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that World War III "may have already started."See full coverage here.Courtney Kube and Alicia Victoria LozanoRussia is now in control of Izyum, a small city in eastern Ukraine between Kharkiv and Donetsk, and could continue its push south, according to a U.S. senior defense official.Two days ago, the deputy mayor of Izyum warned that the city, which has been under siege for more than two weeks, was rapidly running out of supplies and in urgent need of humanitarian corridors to help civilians escape dire conditions. Blinken said President Biden will speak to Chinese President Xi Jingping on Friday "and will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia's aggression, and we will not hesitate to impose costs."The secretary of state said China has a responsibility to use its influence on Putin."Instead, it appears the China is moving in the opposite direction by refusing to condemn this aggression, while seeking to portray itself as a neutral arbiter," he said.Rebecca ShabadSecretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that he agrees with President Joe Biden that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine."Personally, I agree," Blinken told reporters at a press conference from the State Department, referring to Biden's remark Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal. The ministry asked that media limit the coverage of where bomb shelters are located for civilians "in order to make it more difficult for the enemy to obtain current information from open sources for rocket and bomb attacks on civilian infrastructure."Lauren EganPresident Joe Biden on Thursday called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "murderous dictator." Speaking at the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon on Capitol Hill, Biden condemned Putin's invasion and said that the Russian leader is "a pure thug who is waging an immoral war against the people of Ukraine."Noting that he would be speaking with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, Biden said that he believed the world was confronting an "inflection point in history" that occurs every several generations."I think we're in a genuine struggle between autocracies and democracies and whether or not democracies can be sustained," Biden said.Alexander SmithAnyone looking for signs that embattled and isolated Russia might soften its position would not have found much hope in the increasingly belligerent words of President Vladimir Putin.With his invasion of Ukraine floundering and his economy teetering, Putin doubled down Wednesday — turning his baleful glare on Russians who are against the invasion or who sympathize with the West."The Russian people will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors, and will simply spit them out like an insect in their mouth onto the pavement," he said, shoulders hunched and staring down the barrel of the camera.Read the full story.Jacob FultonThe port city of Mariupol has lost as much as 80 percent of its housing stock, and more than 350,000 residents are hiding in shelters and basements because of continuous Russian shelling, the city council said Thursday.Nearly 30 percent of the destroyed housing will not be restorable. Corky SiemaszkoRussian President Vladimir Putin wanted to bend Ukraine to his will, but a new peace proposal being floated by the Kremlin suggests Moscow may be bowing to reality.Russia has been forced by its own military struggles, unexpectedly fierce Ukrainian resistance and worldwide opposition to scale back its demands three weeks after invading its democratic neighbor, experts told NBC News.Instead of replacing Kyiv's pro-Western government and permanently crippling its military, Moscow now appears prepared to accept a scenario in which Ukraine commits to being a neutral country with its own armed forces along the lines of Sweden or Austria.This, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday, "could be viewed as a certain kind of compromise."Read the full story.Christina ZhaoThe European Space Agency has suspended a joint mission to Mars with Russia amid a barrage of sanctions against the country over its invasion of Ukraine."We deeply deplore the human casualties and tragic consequences of the aggression towards Ukraine. "A no-fly zone means that you're in a conflict with Russia."However, he said the U.S. will continue to find other ways to support Ukrainian defense efforts.His counterpart, Slovakian Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad, said his country is willing to provide Ukraine with S-300 missile defense systems, but would only do so after obtaining a "proper replacement."Austin also condemned recent Russian attacks, which he said appear to be targeting civilians. “We’re taking action to put an end to this bullying and protect our free press,” he added.In a press release, the government said that it was looking to amend existing laws to prevent people “who publish private information from being sued if it was done for the public good.”  It was also considering capping legal costs that can be claimed with the aim of “stopping the super-rich, such as Russian oligarchs, from ‘weaponizing’ the high cost of litigation,” it said.Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “For the oligarchs and super-rich who can afford these sky-high costs the threat of legal action has become a new kind of lawfare.”Henry AustinPresident Joe Biden' has no right to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal since the United States has "bombed people all over the world for many years," the Kremlin said Thursday.Asked why Putin had not responded to Biden's claim, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said his leader was "a very wise, far-sighted and cultured international figure."   Biden's statement is "absolutely inadmissible and inexcusable," Peskov told reporters. China has so far avoided condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine or calling it an invasion, describing its growing ties with Moscow as “rock solid.”While expressing concern for the humanitarian situation and calling for a peaceful resolution, Beijing has blamed the United States for the Ukraine crisis and said Western countries should respect Russia’s “legitimate security concerns.” It has also amplified a Russian conspiracy theory that the U.S. is funding chemical and biological weapons activity in Ukraine.Analysts say what may appear to be China’s silence or even support for Russia’s actions obscures the complex calculus that it faces on the Ukraine crisis, which has not gone the way it expected.Read the full story here.Mithil Aggarwal and Anastasiia ParafeniukOne person was killed and three more injured after the debris of a broken Russian missile fell on a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine's State Emergency Service has said.Rescue services responded to an emergency report at a building in the capital's Darnytsky district early Thursday, it said in a statement on Facebook.