Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised statement on Sunday that he was ordering Russia's nuclear deterrent forces to be on high alert. Speaking alongside his defense minister and military chief of staff, Putin said recent sanctions and aggressive statements from NATO had led him to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a special regime of combat duty. Stay on top of the economic and market trends. You can subscribe for free. This is the second time that Putin has warned the West to back off. At the beginning of the invasion, Putin said anyone who tried to harm us would face consequences that they had never encountered before. The U.S. and its NATO allies have been adamant that they will not send troops to Ukraine because of fear of a nuclear standoff. The U.S. and Ukrainian officials say that Russia's invasion is not going to plan because of the Ukrainian resistance. The Kremlin and state media continue to tell Russians that there is no war or invasion, but instead state that there is a limited defensive operation in eastern Ukraine. Despite the threat of mass arrests, the large protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg indicate that many Russians aren&t buying it. The government is preparing to crack down harder on its citizens, having already threatened any independent publications that report on Russian casualties or aggression. The provision of any assistance to a foreign state during a military operation would be considered treason and could result in up to 20 years in prison. Sanctions push Russia closer to China. Do you like this article? You can get more from Axios for free. The White House announced Friday that President Biden will impose sanctions on Russian President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russian forces have attacked oil and gas facilities in Ukraine, sparking huge explosions, officials said on Sunday, as Western allies prepared new sanctions, including banning key Russia banks from the global payments system. Few know that Amazon has millions of Prime subscribers. On Sunday, Turkey called Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "war", a rhetorical shift that could pave the way for the NATO member nation to create an international pact limiting Russian naval passage to the Black Sea. Turkey has control over the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits that connect the Mediterranean and Black seas and can limit the passage of warships during wartime or if threatened. Ankara has said the Russian attack is unacceptable but until Sunday had not described the situation as a war. The Russian delegation is ready for talks, but we are waiting for the Ukrainian president to make a decision. Zelensky said in a video address that he is open to talks, but not in Belarus. You can subscribe for fre. A senior Biden Administration official said on Saturday that doing so would do profound damage to China's reputation. The official said that recent reports that some Chinese banks have stopped issuing letters of credit for purchases of physical commodities from Russia were a positive sign. The AirMini AutoSet is the world's smallest CPAP. For a limited time, you can get a free prescription for the AirMini. Devastation shows an example of the most vulnerable population caught in crossfire. The websites of the Russian government are down. We are being driven out of everywhere, punished and threatened, but we don't feel scared, according to Medvedev. Photographs were captured by drones. Some of the photos were unexpected. The situation in Ukraine is really scary, but he wants to stay and defend his country. The Russian health ministry has compiled lists of medical professionals to be deployed, according to a document sent to the UK. Despite the arrests of hundreds of protesters each day, Russian anti-war activists took to the streets again on Sunday to protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The demonstrators held pickets and marched in city centers, chanting "No to war!" as President Putin ordered Russian nuclear deterrent to be put on high alert. Protests against the invasion started in Russia on Thursday and have continued ever since, even as Russian police have moved swiftly to crack down on the rallies and detain protesters. Become the master of a medieval castle. Train and protect your men and women if you accept new subjects. Don't give up you. Street fighting breaks out as Russian forces advance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on all citizens of the world to join the fight against Russia. More than 350,000 Ukrainians have left the country since the beginning of the invasion. What? Travel hacks to save space and money are popular on TikTok. Some are worth trying, but others are risky. A high-interest account allows you to earn compound interest, while still having full access to your money. These are the top picks. Russian President Vladimir Putin had a long career as an intelligence officer in the former Soviet Union's KGB and the former Communist spy agency, and likely took great efforts to plan his invasion of Ukraine. Where should people wear a mask when traveling? In far fewer places is the answer according to new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC relaxed mask recommendations for most of the country under a new framework to monitor coronaviruses that affect 70% of Americans. The new recommendations factor in case numbers as always, but also consider hospitalizations and hospital capacity. Pelosi told reporters that her experience in government has helped her understand the arena, and that President Biden has done a good job in responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The internet had to call them out. Russia has said it would attack the Nordic nation if it joined NATO. At the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, Donald Trump praised Putin and criticized Biden. Artis Pabriks, the Defence Minister of Latvia, said on Friday that the presence of NATO troops in his country sent a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The group of U.S. service members arrived in Italy early on Thursday. Russia invaded Ukraine by land, sea and air on Thursday after massing more than 150,000 troops around the country.