Ukraine president pleads for worldwide show of support
The HinduUkraine President Volodymr Zelenskyy called on people worldwide to gather in public on March 24 to show support for his embattled country on the one-month anniversary of the Russian invasion that he said breaks the heart of “every free person on the planet.” Mr. Zelenskyy — whose video messages have repeatedly riveted the world’s attention — also said he would speak to NATO members by video to ask the alliance to provide “effective and unrestricted” support to Ukraine, including any weapons the country needs to fend off the Russian onslaught. Ukraine has released little information about its own military losses and the West has not given an estimate, but Mr. Zelenskyy said nearly two weeks ago that about 1,300 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed. In an ominous sign that Moscow might consider using nuclear weapons, a senior Russian official said the country’s nuclear arsenal would help deter the West from intervening in Ukraine. U.S. officials long have warned that Russia’s military doctrine envisages an “escalate to deescalate” option of using battlefield nuclear weapons to force the enemy to back down in a situation when Russian forces face imminent defeat.