First Thing: Zelenskiy says Russia will see new sanctions as ‘permission to attack’

Ukraine says western sanctions are not enough' amid warnings of fresh offensive. Plus, House votes two Trump advisers in contempt of Congress

Hello and good morning,

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said yesterday that new sanctions by the west against Russia did not go far enough and would be seen by invading forces as a permission to attack", as fears of an assault on the east of the country intensify.

What sanctions does Zelenskiy want? He called for the west to reject Russian oil and completely block the country's banks from the international finance system.

What's the latest on a potential Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine? The Kremlin has said it intends to seize the entire self-proclaimed republic in Donetsk, with Putin reportedly keen to declare victory by 9 May, the annual second world war commemoration.

How is Ukraine responding to the fresh offensive threat? Ukraine urged civilians to leave the east of the country while they still could. Meanwhile, the Pentagon said a small number" of Ukrainian soldiers were being trained in the US to operate Switchblade drones.

What is the international community doing? The UN general assembly will vote today on whether to suspend Russia from the UN premier human rights body after discoveries of potential Russian war crimes. Nato foreign ministers also meet today in Brussels for talks on providing support to bring an end to the war.

What punishment could the advisers face if convicted? Up to a year in federal prison, $100,000 in fines - or both.

Why won't Navarro and Scavino testify? It means the select committee can't extract information from them about Trump's unlawful scheme to have then vice-president Mike Pence stop the election certification.

What happens next? The contempt citations now head to the justice department and the US attorney for the District of Columbia, Matthew Graves, who is required by law to weigh a prosecution.