President Vladimir Putin on Saturday likened the West’s sanctions on Russia to ‘declaring war’ as cease-fire in Ukraine’s port city of Mariupol collapsed. 

“If they continue to do what they are doing, they are calling into question the future of Ukrainian statehood. And if this happens, it will be entirely on their conscience,” Putin warned. 

Also read: Explained: What role does religion play in the Russia-Ukraine conflict?

The Russian President’s statement came as his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden discussed aid, security, the West’s ongoing efforts to impose economic costs on Russia and to speed US military, humanitarian and economic assistance to Ukraine.

The White House said the pair also discussed talks between Russia and Ukraine during the more than 30-minute call early Sunday in Ukraine, but offered no additional details.

Also read: Why controlling Mariupol and Azov Sea is key to Russia’s Ukraine invasion?

Russian troops continued to shell encircled cities and the number of Ukrainians forced from their country grew to 1.4 million. By Saturday night Russian forces had intensified their shelling of Mariupol, while dropping powerful bombs on residential areas of Chernihiv, a city north of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said.

Here are key updates on the Russia-Ukraine crisis:

1) Ukraine President Zelensky made a “desperate” plea to American lawmakers for the United States to help get more warplanes to his military and cut off Russian oil imports as Kyiv tries to stave off the Russian invasion.

Also read: All companies that pulled out of Russia amid Ukraine crisis

The leader, in his trademark green shirt, in a private video call with US lawmakers said that it may be the last time they see him alive. He has remained in Kyiv, the capital, which has a vast Russian armored column threatening from the north.

2) Close to 10,000 Russian troops have died in the war so far, Ukraine said. A third round of ceasefire talks will be held Monday.

3) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the United Nations is committed to scaling up its humanitarian operations to help both those who have stayed in Ukraine and the more than 1 million who have fled.

4) Russian forces have now seized two Ukrainian nuclear power plants and are advancing toward a third, Ukraine’s president said during a call with US senators.

5) A Russian airliner received an exception to the US airspace ban in order to return Russian diplomats expelled from the US to Russia.