“It was a remarkable moment in the war in Europe: President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine gave a 90-minute-long Zoom interview on Sunday to four prominent journalists from Russia, the country invading his,” the New York Times reports.

“Hours later, the Kremlin responded. A government statement notified the Russian news media ‘of the necessity to refrain from publishing this interview.’”

“Journalists based outside Russia published it anyway. Those still inside Russia did not. The episode laid bare the extraordinary, and partly successful, efforts at censorship being undertaken in Russia by President Vladimir Putin’s government as his bloody invasion of Ukraine enters its second month, along with Mr. Zelensky’s attempts to circumvent that censorship and reach the public directly.”

“Ukrainian forces are seeking to roll back Russian gains as Moscow shifts its focus to controlling a swath of the country’s south and east,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Ukrainian forces said Sunday they drove Russian troops out of Trostyanets, in the northeast near the Russian border, potentially opening a road to the provincial capital of Sumy, which is encircled by the Russians.”

“Russian forces redoubled attacks on strategic targets across Ukraine on Sunday, with fierce fighting reported around the capital, Kyiv, amid signs that the besieged city of Mariupol was close to falling,” the New York Times reports.

“As the conflict moved into its second month, Russian forces have largely failed in their first aim to take the largest cities and have narrowed immediate targets to the sieges of the southern port city of Mariupol and the strategically placed city of Chernihiv in the north.”

“China has announced its biggest city-wide lockdown since the Covid outbreak began more than two years ago,” the BBC reports.

“The city of Shanghai will be locked down in two stages over nine days while authorities carry out Covid-19 testing.”

Donald Trump continued his praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin at a rally in Georgia, Insider reports.

Said Trump: “The smartest one gets to the top. That didn’t work so well recently in our country.”

He added: “But they ask me, ‘Is Putin smart?’ Yes, Putin was smart. And I actually thought he was going to be negotiating. I said, ‘That’s a hell of a way to negotiate, put 200,000 soldiers on the border.’ … I think he made a big mistake, what he’s done to so many people, but that was a big mistake. But it looked like a great negotiation.”

Richard Haass: “The comments by President Biden made a difficult situation more difficult and a dangerous situation more dangerous. That is obvious. Less obvious is how to undo the damage, but I suggest his chief aides reach their counterparts and make clear US prepared to deal with this Russian government.”

Washington Post: “White House officials were adamant the remark was not a sign of a policy change, but they did concede it was just the latest example of Biden’s penchant for stumbling off message. And like many of his unintended comments, they came at the end of his speech as he ad-libbed and veered from the carefully crafted text on the teleprompter.”

Matthew Yglesias: “I think Biden should do more off-script gaffes on domestic politics where his old man instincts are closer to the electorate than his staff. But when addressing great power conflict you want to stick to the prepared text.”

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the West of lacking courage as his country fights to stave off Russia’s invasion, making an exasperated plea for fighter jets and tanks to sustain a defense in a conflict that has ground into a war of attrition,” the AP reports.

“Speaking after President Joe Biden met with senior Ukrainian officials in Poland on Saturday, Zelensky lashed out at the West’s ‘ping-pong about who and how should hand over jets and other defensive weapons to us’ while Russian missile attacks kill and trap civilians.”

“Removing Russian President Vladimir Putin from power is not on Washington’s agenda, the top U.S diplomat said Sunday, as Ukraine’s leader issued another impassioned plea to allies for additional weaponry to hold off invading Russian forces,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

Said Secretary of State Antony Blinken: “We do not have a strategy of regime change in Russia, or anywhere else, for that matter. In this case, as in any case, it’s up to the people of the country in question, it’s up to the Russian people.”