From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Russian troops edged closer to seizing control of Sievierodonetsk, the last major city in the Luhansk province still in Ukrainian hands, as Russia approaches its goal of seizing Ukraine’s east.
The continuing Russian assault, during which the city’s buildings have been pulverized and a majority of its prewar population of 100,000 people have fled, comes as the U.S. and Germany have pledged to transfer more advanced weapons to Ukraine, reports The New York Times.
The U.S. said it would send advanced rocket systems, greatly extending the range of Ukraine’s artillery, while Germany promised both an air-defense system and a tracking radar to help the Ukrainian army locate sources of Russian heavy artillery.
American view: In a guest essay for The Times, President Biden dismissed concerns that Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, could view American military support for Ukraine as a provocation.
“We do not seek a war between NATO and Russia,” Biden wrote. “As much as I disagree with Mr. Putin, and find his actions an outrage, the United States will not try to bring about his ouster in Moscow.”
Nuclear threat: After generations of stability in nuclear arms control, a warning to Russia from Biden shows how old norms are eroding.
The front: The New York Times photographers are bearing witness.
