Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a "desperate plea" to U.S. senators to send more planes on Saturday, while Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would consider any third-party declaration of a no-fly zone over Ukraine as "participation in the armed conflict."
Zelensky made the request on a call joined by more than 300 people, including U.S. senators, some House lawmakers and aides.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, said in a statement he will do "all I can to help the administration to facilitate their transfer."
Schumer told Zelensky the U.S. lawmakers are inspired by him and by the strength and courage of the Ukrainian people, according to another person on the call who was granted anonymity to discuss it.
The U.S. Congress is also working on a $10-billion US package of military and humanitarian aid, and Schumer told Zelensky that lawmakers hope to send it to Ukraine quickly, the person on the call said.
Zelensky told senators he needs planes and drones more than other security tools, according to a senior Senate aide granted anonymity to discuss the private meeting.
In Russia, Putin says there is nothing that warrants imposing martial law in Russia at this point. His comment followed days of speculation that the introduction of martial law could be imminent.
Putin said that "martial law is imposed in a country ... in the event of external aggression, including in specific areas of hostilities. But we don't have such a situation, and I hope we won't."
Separately, at a meeting with female pilots, Putin said Russia would view "any move in [the] direction" of a no-fly zone over Ukraine as an intervention that "will pose a threat to our service members."
"That very second, we will view them as participants of the military conflict, and it would not matter what members they are," he said.
Zelensky has pushed NATO to impose a no-fly zone over his country, warning that "all the people who die from this day forward will also die because of you."
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has said a no-fly zone, which would bar all unauthorized aircraft from flying over Ukraine, could provoke widespread war in Europe with nuclear-armed Russia.
Meanwhile, the Canadian government on Saturday issued an advisory urging citizens to avoid all travel to Russia.
"If you are in Russia, you should leave while commercial means are still available," the advisory read.
3rd round of talks coming Monday, Ukraine says
The next round of talks between Ukraine and Russia will be held on Monday, Ukrainian official Davyd Arakhamia said on Saturday.
Arakhamia is head of the parliamentary faction of Zelensky's Servant of the People party and a member of Ukraine's delegation at the talks.
Monday will be the third round of talks. Previous meetings led to the failed ceasefire agreement to create humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of children, women and older people from besieged cities — where pharmacies have run bare, hundreds of thousands face food and water shortages and the injured have been succumbing to their wounds.
Israeli PM speaks with Putin, Zelensky separately
Israel's prime minister met with Putin in Moscow on Saturday and subsequently spoke by phone with Zelensky, according to a spokesperson for Naftali Bennett.
Bennett's office said he departed early Saturday morning for Moscow, accompanied by Russian-speaking cabinet minister Zeev Elkin. Both men are observant Jews and wouldn't normally travel on the Sabbath, but Bennett's spokesperson said Judaism permits breaking Sabbath law when the aim is to preserve human life.
Israel is one of the few countries that has good working relations with both sides. The country has delivered humanitarian aid to Ukraine but also maintains ties with Moscow to make sure that Israeli and Russian warplanes do not come into conflict in neighbouring Syria.
Separately, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesperson said the Turkish leader will speak with Putin on Sunday.
"This war must be stopped immediately and there must be a return to the negotiating table," Ibrahim Kalin told broadcaster NTV in Istanbul. He said on Saturday that "our president will talk to Putin tomorrow."
Like Israel, NATO member Turkey has close ties to both Russia and Ukraine and has repeatedly offered to mediate between the two. It has invited the top diplomats of both countries to Turkey for talks next week.
Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had confirmed his attendance at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, to be held in the Mediterranean coastal city from March 11 to 13.
Zelensky pleads with U.S. for more planes while Putin warns West against no-fly zones - CBC.ca
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