UN Security Council came forward; Civilian casualties; US urge Zelensky to leave Kiev

UN Security Council came forward; Civilian casualties; US urge Zelensky to leave Kiev

European Union countries have agreed to impose a limited package of sanctions on Russia after Moscow recognized the independence of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Scholz, Macron and Biden expressed solidarity with Ukraine and praised the restrained reaction of Ukraine so far under President Zelensky.

The launch of, as Russia called it, peacekeeping operations in eastern Ukraine is "nonsense", and the recognition of "breakaway regions" as independent is part of Moscow's excuse for war, the United States said in the UN Security Council.

The consequences of Russia's actions "will be terrible - all over Ukraine, all over Europe and all over the world," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Monday at an emergency meeting of the 15-member council, Reuters reports.

The United States call on Zelensky to evacuate

The United States of America urge Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to go to Lviv for his own safety, ABC television reports. The television does not state the sources of its information, nor the reason for this recommendation.

"Russia to support its words with deeds"

"France believes that Russia should support its words on readiness for dialogue in the situation around Ukraine, by reconsidering the decision on the recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics," said the permanent representative of France to the UN, Nicolas de Rivière.

"We call on Russia to support its words with deeds and to prefer the path of dialogue by revoking the decision on the recognition of DNR and LNR".

"In coordination with European partners, we are preparing targeted sanctions against those who made this illegal decision," de Rivière said.