Next few days of war are crucial: Zelenskyy

LVIV, Apr 11 (AP/AFP): Ukraine's president warned his nation Sunday night that the coming week would be as crucial as any in the war.
"Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.
He accused Russia of trying to evade responsibility for war crimes.
"When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, apologize, adapt to reality and learn, they turn into monsters. And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide that it is the world that has to adapt to them. Ukraine will stop all this," Zelenskyy said.
"The day will come when they will have to admit everything. Accept the truth," he said.
He again called on Western countries, including Germany, to provide more assistance to Ukraine. During talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelenskyy said he discussed "how to strengthen sanctions against Russia and how to force Russia to seek peace."
"I am glad to note that the German position has recently changed in favor of Ukraine. I consider it absolutely logical," Zelenskyy said.
In Washington, a senior U.S. official said that Russia has appointed Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, one of its most seasoned military chiefs, to oversee the invasion. The official was not authorized to be identified and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Until now, Russia has had no central war commander on the ground.
The new battlefield leadership comes as the Russian military prepares for what is expected to be a large, focused push to expand control in Ukraine's east. Russia-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donbas region since 2014 and declared some territory there as independent.

Austria leader in Moscow
for talks with Putin
A visit by Austria's chancellor to Moscow on Monday is aimed at mitigating "the humanitarian hell in Ukraine", notably by pleading for "humanitarian corridors", his foreign minister said.
Chancellor Karl Nehammer was to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, becoming the first European leader to visit Moscow since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
While "this is not an EU-mandated trip", Nehammer informed key EU leaders beforehand, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told reporters in Luxembourg.
Nehammer believed it was necessary to "leave no stone unturned" in trying to alleviate the brutal conditions faced by Ukrainians, Schallenberg said.
He was speaking as he went into an EU foreign ministers meeting focused on the situation in Ukraine and on possible further sanctions on Russia.