Putin Threatens Ukrainian Statehood

Russian President Vladimir Putin added a threat to the nation he's invaded on Saturday, saying the international sanctions against his country amount to a "declaration of war" that endanger Ukrainian sovereignty. "The current leadership needs to understand that if they continue doing what they are doing, they risk the future of Ukrainian statehood," Putin said. His comments were an escalation of his rhetoric and the most extensive ones he's made since the invasion began, the Washington Post reports. They were delivered at a meeting with female flight attendants from Russian airlines, per Politico, in recognition of International Women's Day, which is Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded with Western allies to impose a no-fly zone over his country, which Putin addressed. Russia would consider any other nations that try to enforce a no-fly zone in Ukraine enemy combatants, he said. One response came from Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who tweeted, "Weaponizing migration & attacks on nuke plants are akin to a declaration of war too," per the Hill. Ukraine has been an independent nation since the Soviet Union collapsed more than 30 years ago. If its sovereignty is lost, Putin said, Ukraine's leaders "will have to be blamed for that." (More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)