Plight of Ukrainian civilians must be the priority as Nato puts pressure on Putin’s war machine - The Yorkshire Post says

Boris Johnson’s six-point plan aimed at doing exactly that is likely to attract widespread international support. The measures he has proposed are sensible and achievable, and it is right that humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine is at the top of his list.

Innocent civilians are on the front line of Russian aggression, and yesterday’s failure of the second attempt to evacuate the city of Mariupol underlines the urgency of the need to give them every help possible.

Support for Ukraine’s valiant forces, who are fighting the invaders with such determination, is also an essential component of the Prime Minister’s plan, as is the further strengthening of Nato’s security and resilience.

All these measures send an uncompromising message to Putin that there will be no gradual acceptance of what he has inflicted on a democratic sovereign state, nor any weakening of international consensus to isolate Russia and cause it maximum economic damage.

It is to be hoped that these measures bring at least some comfort to the Ukrainian people, even though they surely support their president’s call for Nato to go farther and impose a no-fly zone.

But the risk of that escalating the war into a full-scale confrontation between Nato and Russia means such a move remains unlikely.

Sanctions against Russia must be given time to bite. The early signs are that they are already having a serious effect on its economy, and over the coming days and weeks will make Putin’s position more difficult.

As that happens, the west must do everything in its power to deliver aid to Ukraine’s beleaguered people.