Russian forces stormed Ukraine’s second-biggest city, Kharkiv, on Tuesday, while President Vladimir Putin called for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. The assault on Kharkiv, a city of 1.4 million people, marked a significant escalation in the conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week. Russian troops also continued to advance on the capital, Kyiv, where street fighting was reported..
Putin’s offer of talks came as Russian forces faced growing resistance from Ukrainian troops and civilians. The Ukrainian military said it had killed more than 5,000 Russian soldiers and destroyed 191 tanks, 29 aircraft, and 816 armored vehicles..
The United States and its allies have condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and imposed sanctions on the country. President Biden has also authorized the deployment of additional U.S. troops to Europe to bolster NATO’s defenses..
The conflict in Ukraine has raised fears of a wider war in Europe. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that the alliance was .
