Zelensky tells German politicians ‘help came too late’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has concluded his address to the German Bundestag in Berlin.

He thanked Germany for its assistance, but told lawmakers their support “came too late to stop war”.

“Why does ‘never again’ not apply,” he asked. “What is Germany’s historic responsibility towards Ukraine today?”.

Zelensky also criticised German leaders over the country’s business interests in Russia.

“We could see your willingness to continue to do business with Russia and now we’re in the middle of the cold war,” Zelesnky said.

“And again this is something you have failed to see. You’re still protecting yourself behind a wall that does not make it possible for you to see what we are going through.”

He concluded by calling for Germany to tackle Russian aggression and impose harsher sanctions on Moscow. “Peace is more important than income,” he told MPs.

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 22nd day, we take a look at the main developments.

In the besieged city of Mariupol, buses carrying around 300 refugees have arrived across the border in Russia’s Rostov region, according to Russian media. Yesterday, Russian missile strikes hit a theatre in the city where over 1,000 people were thought to be sheltering, according to the city’s deputy mayor

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky accused Russia of purposely targeting the theatre. Russia has denied bombing it.

In the capital Kyiv, one person has died and three others are injured after an apartment building was hit by the remains of a downed missile. Rescue workers are searching for people who may be trapped under the rubble, says Ukraine’s State Emergency Services
In Chernihiv, 13 people waiting in a queue for bread were reportedly killed by Russian shelling.

On the diplomatic front, relations between the US and Russia plummeted further after US President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal”. The Kremlin labelled Biden’s comments “unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric”.

Before the comment was made, Zelensky spoke to the US Congress in a virtual address in which he called for more Western support
The US pledged an additional $1bn (£764m) in weapons to Ukraine – including tactical drones, rocket and grenade launchers, rifles, machine guns, body armour, and ammunition.

Analysis from military experts including the UK defence ministry says the Russian invasion has “stalled on all fronts”.