There are calls for empathy and the end of mistreatment of Africans stuck on the border of Ukraine as they try to flee the war that's followed Russia's invasion. Thousands of Africans study in Ukraine and many have been sharing their suffering and fear after having been sidelined, attacked and discriminated against as they try to flee.

The situation in Ukraine is the focus of the world's media. The shelling of Kharkiv has been condemned as a war crime by the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. There has been damage across the whole of Ukraine, but the next phase of the Russian operation is expected to be even more violent. Ukrainian people say they are resolute and prepared to lay down their lives – perhaps best represented by their own president. Volodymyr Zelensky is still in Kyiv and says he is ready to fight.

FRANCE 24's Olivia Salazar-Winspear takes a closer look at the cultural consequences of the war in Ukraine, as dissident Russian artists speak out at home and abroad. Boycotts in the film industry are also hitting home, with Disney, Sony and Warner Brothers movies on pause in Russia and film festivals targeting Russian productions.

With the city of Kharkiv devastated and Kyiv braced for attack by an approaching Russian convoy, we are asking whether the US has made the right calls on Ukraine. The message of Biden's State of the Union address was one of solidarity with President Volodymyr Zelensky. But seen from Kyiv, will this feel like enough?

The cultural world has reacted swiftly to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Artists and performers have been cancelling shows in Russia, while cultural institutions are under growing pressure to cut ties with Russian oligarchs. The country will also no longer be represented at major international events, including the Eurovision Song Contest. We're joined by Ukrainian artist Nikita Kravtsov, who's also one of the organisers of "Support Ukraine" in France. He denounced a "genocide" in his country and called for the West to implement a no-fly zone over Ukrainian skies.

As bells ring out across Europe in support of Ukrainian citizens, refugees fleeing the country are now in excess of a million, and on the Polish border women and children part ways with the men who must return and fight Russian forces.France has welcomed the first refugees with open arms, their plight uniting public opinion more than, for instance, the Syrian refugee crisis ever did, military supplies have been sent...but is this enough?

As bells ring out across Europe in support of Ukraine, refugees fleeing the country are now in excess of a million. On the Polish border, women and children part ways with the men who must return and fight against Russian forces. France has welcomed the first Ukrainian refugees with open arms. Their plight is uniting public opinion more than the Syrian refugee crisis ever did. Meanwhile, military supplies have been sent to Ukraine...but is this enough?

Ukraine's government sets up a special hotline for Africans and other foreign students trying to make it out of the country amid Russia's invasion. Meanwhile, an international coalition of activists file an appeal to the United Nations over racism at the country's borders. We hear from the UN's Special Rapporteur on racism and xenophobia, E. Tendayi Achiume.

This week, there was a major show of support from across the political spectrum for the Ukrainian state and victims of the Russian invasion. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke via video link to Members of the European Parliament, asking them to keep up that backing and help his country accelerate down a path towards joining the EU. In this programme we're joined by two MEPs to discuss the EU's involvement in this fast-moving crisis.

Social media posts may seem insignificant when compared with the brutality on the ground in Ukraine, but what goes viral is directly affecting the war and Russia knows this. This Friday, the chairman of the Russian parliament Vyacheslav Volodin railed against foreign social media, calling it a "weapon" that Russia "must oppose". This comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky secured a series of victories against Russia on the international stage, thanks in no small part to his internet star power.

Is Ukraine using paid actors for propaganda

The first group of Nigerian evacuees escaping the Russian invasion of Ukraine arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Friday. Nigerian student Oduola Joshua Adebowale, a first-year medical student said he fled his home with only his documents and laptop after an explosion shook his hostel.