i m not going to speak| about the intelligence, but russia would pay a severe price if they used chemical weapons. - a strike on lutsk overnight, the devastation is already terrible. the hope will be that public warnings may dissuade moscow, though, from taking action which could bring even more suffering. gordon corera, bbc news. that s all from us here in lviv this evening, i ll hand you back to jane in the studio. thank you very much. the united nations says more than 2.5 million people have fled ukraine since russia invaded. most of them have entered ukraine s nearest european neighbours, and volunteers are helping to support refugees across eastern europe. the eu says ukrainians will be allowed to work in member states without a visa for three years. here, the prime minister say plans to allow some refugees to live with host families in the uk will be revealed next week.
the fear is that russia is preparing for what s called a false flag , using chemical weapons itself and then blaming the ukrainians in order to justify the invasion. that, one western official said today, seems more likely than widespread military use of chemicals. so, what would the consequences be? in 2013, parliament voted not to take military action after the use of chemical weapons in syria, even though they d been described by the west as a red line, so what would happen this time? officials here at the foreign office and across the west have been vocal about their concerns, but also careful not to say exactly how they would respond. i m not going to speak| about the intelligence, but russia would pay a severe price if they used chemical weapons. - a strike on lutsk overnight, the devastation is already terrible. the hope will be that public warnings may dissuade moscow, though, from taking action which could bring even more suffering. gordon corera, bbc news.
they d been described by the west as a red line, so what would happen this time? officials here at the foreign office and across the west have been vocal about their concerns, but also careful not to say exactly how they would respond. i m not going to speak| about the intelligence, but russia would pay a severe price if they used chemical weapons. - a strike on lutsk overnight, the devastation is already terrible. the hope will be that public warnings may dissuade moscow, though, from taking action which could bring even more suffering. gordon corera, bbc news. in towns and cities across ukraine, military funerals are now a daily occurrence. this country s regular armed forces its soldiers, sailors and airforce have beenjoined by volunteers, men and women who three weeks ago had never picked up a weapon, but who are now fighting and dying in defence of their land. fergal keane was at the ceremony.
a strike on lutsk overnight, the devastation is already terrible. the hope will be that public warnings may dissuade moscow, though, from taking action which could bring even more suffering. gordon corera, bbc news. the us and its western allies are stripping russia of its routine trade benefits putting further economic pressure on the kremlin over its invasion of ukraine. joe biden has also announced a ban on russian seafood, alcohol and diamonds. our state department correspondent barbara plett usher is outside the white house. barbara, i have lost count of how many different rounds of sanctions we have had now, but this suspension of normal trading relations, what impact is not going to have? yes. impact is not going to have? yes, there have impact is not going to have? yes, there have been impact is not going to have? yes, there have been a impact is not going to have? yes, there have been a lot impact is not going to have? yes, there have been a lot of- impact is not goi