US ready to strengthen sanctions against Russia

The United States warned on Wednesday that it is about to announce new sanctions against Russia as evacuations continued in the besieged southern Ukraine port city of Mariupol.

As many as 562 people, including 110 children, were evacuated from Mariupol to the Bezymennoye settlement in the Novoazovsky district, a border town on the southeastern tip of Ukraine near Russia, in the past 24 hours, the Territorial Defense Headquarters of Donetsk said in a statement on Wednesday.

Russia's Defense Ministry said that more than 68,000 people had been evacuated from Mariupol as of March 22, adding the humanitarian situation in the city was "catastrophic".

Bombardment from Russian troops in Mariupol continued on Tuesday. Local authorities said two "super powerful bombs" rocked the city during the daytime, but they did not provide a casualty report.

Almost 100,000 people still trapped in the ruined city face starvation "without food, water and medication", Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on Tuesday.

Satellite images of Mariupol show a charred landscape, with several buildings ablaze and smoke billowing over the city.

The Pentagon said Russia is pummeling Mariupol with artillery and long-range missiles and from naval ships deployed in the nearby Sea of Azov.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the main goal of Russian forces in Mariupol is to clear the city of nationalist units. The nationalists "are simply not letting people out from the town" using civilians "like a shield", he said in an interview with CNN.

Peskov refused to rule out the use of nuclear weapons in the conflict. When asked under what conditions Russian President Vladimir Putin would use Russia's nuclear capability, Peskov replied, "If it is an existential threat for our country, then it can be".

Peskov said the "special operation" in Ukraine is going on strictly in accordance with the plans and purposes established beforehand. From the beginning, no one was expecting it to take "a couple of days", he added.

Moscow is not looking to establish a structure that would reshape or reorganize local authorities in Ukraine's territories, Peskov said.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned on Tuesday that the US, along with the European Union, will impose more sanctions on Russia and toughen existing ones during President Joe Biden's visit to Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday.

Biden will participate in emergency summits of NATO, the European Union and the G7 that will focus on displays of cooperation in punishing Russia and providing support to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov has accused Western countries of sending weapons and mercenaries to Ukraine, which are extremely dangerous policies that pose a threat to European and global security.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for more talks, saying elements of diplomatic progress can be seen on several key issues. "There is enough on the table to cease hostilities-now …and seriously negotiate-now," Guterres said at a news conference in New York on Tuesday.

Agencies contributed to the story.