Traffic jams to flee Ukraine, President rejects US evacuation offer

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has rejected the offer by the US government to evacuate the country as invading Russian forces closed in on Kyiv.  According to Associated Press, an upbeat Zelenskiy said, “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.”  Russian troops continue to encircle Kyiv amid repeated calls from the West to withdraw from Ukrainian territory and adhere to the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

Ukrainian nationals poured in large numbers into Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia on Friday as Russian missiles pounded the capital Kyiv, with many waiting for hours at congested border crossings. A long traffic jam of cars and trucks, stretching to several kilometres, was seen in new satellite images near Ukraine's border with Romania as people tried to flee to neighbouring countries as Russian missiles pounded capital Kyiv. A majority of those crossing into neighbouring countries are reported to be women and children since Ukraine has restricted passage for men between 18 and 60 years old, news agency Reuters reported.

At least 29,000 people had entered Poland from Ukraine on Thursday, though it was unclear how many were war refugees and not foreigners going home. Across central Europe, on NATO's eastern flank, volunteers were putting up messages on social media to organise housing and transport for people arriving from the borders. Activists have set up food and hot drink distribution points and vets were offering to take care of pets. 

Meanwhile, Hungary has extended temporary legal protection to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, as countries in eastern Europe prepare for the arrival of refugees at their borders. Hungary, which borders Ukraine to the west, has in the past taken a firm stance against all forms of immigration. It has controversially refused to accept refugees and asylum seekers from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. But in a decree, Hungary’s government announced all Ukrainian citizens arriving from Ukraine, and all third-country nationals legally residing there, would be entitled to protection.