Joe Biden will speak with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Friday, 18 March, to discuss the war in Ukraine "and other issues of mutual concern", according to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, in his video address to German MPs on Thursday, invoked the Berlin Wall and said that Russia was building a new wall against freedom.
A day after US President Joe Biden called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a "war criminal," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Biden's remarks were "unacceptable," and constituted "unforgivable rhetoric".
Additionally, China's ambassador to Ukraine praised the war-torn country's unity and resistance in the face of Russian aggression. Beijing also said that it would "never attack Ukraine," and would support Kyiv economically and politically.
The Biden administration approved $1 billion military aid package for Ukraine
Zelenskyy addressed the US Congress last night and reiterated his demand for a NATO-enforced no-fly zone over Ukraine
About 7 percent of the Ukrainian population has fled the country, according to the UN
More than 3 million people have fled Ukraine
War Criminals Will Be Held Responsible: G7
The G7 nations, in a joint statement, warned that war criminals in Ukraine "will be held responsible."
"Ministers underscored that those responsible for war crimes, including indiscriminate use of weapons against civilians, will be held responsible. Ministers welcomed the ongoing work to investigate and gather evidence, including by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court," a press release by the union of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States said.
21 Dead in Russian Shelling on Eastern Ukraine Town
At least 21 people were reported dead after Russian shelling in a town in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian artillery destroyed a school and a community center in Merefa, near the northeast city of Kharkiv, reported news agency AP.
Russian-European Mars Mission Suspended
The Russian-European Mars mission has been suspended over Ukraine war, the European Space Agency said.
Soon afterwards, Russia's space agency head said that Moscow regrets the 'bitter' decision by ESA to suspend the mission.
'Nothing to be Afraid of in Crimea': Putin Tells Businesses
President Putin has said that Russian businesses and banks could start operating in Crimea without fearing western sanctions.
The Crimean peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014 after the Euromaidan revolution in Ukraine.
"Right now all the conditions are in place for major Russian businesses, which in the past, to put it bluntly, were fearful of sanctions. Now have nothing to be afraid of", Putin said, as quoted by the Financial Times.