Russia-Ukraine live updates: Biden lands in Europe, set to announce new sanctions against Russia

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President Biden has landed in Europe for urgent talks starting Thursday with NATO, the Group of Seven and the European Council about Russiaâs war on Ukraine. The U.S. president and his European counterparts are expected to project a unified front, announcing plans to reduce Europeâs dependence on Russian energy and new sanctions against Moscow â even as divisions emerge within NATO and in Washington about how to deter the Kremlin from escalating the conflict.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters en route that Biden will also consult with allies in Brussels on âpotential contingenciesâ in the event that Russia launches cyberattacks on the West, or that Russian President Vladimir Putin â frustrated by battlefield setbacks â turns to chemical or biological weapons or other escalations. That includes a discussion on âhow to deal with the rhetoric and the commentary coming out of Russia on this whole question of the potential use of nuclear weapons,â he said.

So far, Moscowâs advance has stalled around the capital, Kyiv, because of the Ukrainian forcesâ successful guerrilla-style tactics. Russian forces appear to have switched to the defensive on Kyivâs outskirts, according to the latest assessment by the Institute for the Study of War, a D.C. think tank, though Ukrainian officials have at times painted an overly rosy view of their own success in counterattacks.

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Biden arrives in Brussels for third overseas journey in office

By Paulina Firozi and Hannah Knowles12:44 a.m.

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President Biden landed Wednesday in Brussels, the first stop on a European trip meant to bolster the NATO alliance amid Russiaâs invasion of Ukraine.

Biden was received at the airport by the prime minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo. This is Bidenâs third overseas trip since taking office. The president will attend a NATO summit, a Group of Seven meeting and a session with heads of state from the European Union while in Brussels. He will then travel to Poland, a visit that will include a meeting with President Andrzej Duda on Saturday.

During the trip, the president is set to pledge more aid to address human suffering amid a growing refugee crisis. Biden is also expected to announce a new package of sanctions on Russia as well as new efforts to crack down on those looking to evade current sanctions.

âFor the past few months, the West has been united,â national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday. âThe president is traveling to Europe to ensure that we stay united, to cement our collective resolve, to send a powerful message that we are prepared and committed to this for as long as it takes.â

Speaking to reporters during the flight, Sullivan said new sanctions against political leaders and oligarchs would be announced Thursday but did not give details. He also said leaders would discuss China.

Sullivan said Biden would speak Friday about the energy issues of Europe, which is more reliant on Russian oil and gas than the United States, before heading to Poland. The European Commission has presented a plan to dramatically cut Russian gas imports this year in response to the war.

Asked as he left the White House about his message to world leaders, Biden said he will âsay it when I get there.â He was also asked about the possibility of Russia engaging in chemical warfare in Ukraine, and said, âI think itâs a real threat.â

Key update

Hereâs the status of Ukrainian cities under Russian attack

By Amy Cheng and Lateshia Beachum12:43 a.m.

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Kyiv: A shower of rockets struck a residential neighborhood near the center of the Ukrainian capital early Wednesday, igniting fires and destroying apartment buildings. Some witnesses described feeling shock waves after hearing two rounds of strikes.Makariv: Despite Ukrainian government boasts of pushing out Russian forces, the city remains a contested front line. Post reporters found that the area remains under Russian threat.Mariupol: At least 100,000 people are still living under worsening humanitarian conditions and fearing for their lives in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday night. Russian forces have foiled evacuation efforts and recently captured a convoy of 11 buses headed to Mariupol, Ukrainian officials have said.Mykolaiv: The Pentagon reported Tuesday that there were signs the Russians are repositioning themselves outside the city to the south after facing fierce resistance. Mykolaiv, which sits near the Black Sea, has managed to hold off Russiaâs advances despite an attack on a downtown hotel Monday, a rare strike on a city center.Kharkiv: Nearly half of its 1.4 million residents have fled Ukraineâs second-largest city, with thousands of those who remain living in the subway system as heavy Russian shelling continues above ground. Yet, Ukrainian cellist Denys Karachevtsev decided to stay and play a Bach suite on the cityâs destroyed streets while raising money for humanitarian aid and building restoration.Odessa: Residential buildings were damaged by suspected Russian strikes in the southern part of this city, near the Black Sea coast. Odessa has so far avoided the worst of Russiaâs onslaughts, and many residents have chosen to stay.

Rachel Pannett and Paulina Firozi contributed to this report.

Ukraine claims it is using facial recognition to identify dead Russian soldiers

By Amy Cheng12:43 a.m.

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Ukraine is using facial recognition software to identify Russian fighters killed in the war, according a top technology official there.

Mykhailo Fedorov, a Ukrainian deputy prime minister who also heads the Digital Transformation Ministry, wrote on social media Wednesday that Kyiv will use artificial intelligence-powered tools to match photos of dead Russian soldiers with their social media accounts.

After locating the online profiles, Fedorov explained, Ukrainian authorities will contact friends and relatives of the dead so people in Russia could understand the true nature and scale of Moscowâs attacks. The Kremlin has called its invasion a âspecial military operationâ and downplayed the casualties it suffered in the past month, jailing antiwar protesters and silencing independent media outlets to maintain its own narrative.

Speaking with Reuters, Fedorov said Ukraine is working with U.S. company Clearview AI and that it has had a âhighâ success rate of reaching the families of dead Russian soldiers. The Washington Post could not independently verify this claim.

Earlier this month, Clearview AI said that it is providing its services free of charge to help Kyiv detect Russian invaders, reunite refugee families and identify the dead. In a March 14 interview with cable news channel NewsNation, Clearview AI CEO Hoan Ton-That said the company showed Ukrainian authorities how to use its facial recognition software in a demo.

âIn a war zone, itâs really a dangerous place. If you could help identify â¦ good people on your side or not on your side, the safer it is for everybody,â he added.

It is unclear, however, how extensively facial recognition technology is used by the Ukrainian government. Fedorovâs ministry told The Post last week that the partnership with Clearview AI is âin very early developmentâ and declined to give more details because of security concerns.

Drew Harwell and Cat Zakrzewski contributed to this report.