The rift between Putin's military and the private Russian military company that has done much of the fighting in east Ukraine grew wider Tuesday as the company's owner accused Kremlin officials of "high treason" and attempting to destroy his force.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, a millionaire with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, released an audio statement claiming Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov were handing out orders not to supply Wagner with ammunition and not to support it with air transport.

In recent weeks, Wagner forces have been taking heavy losses while making modest gains in the battle for control of Bakhmut, a crucial city in the Donbas. Prigohzin said the orders from Shoigu and Gerasimov “can be likened to high treason in the very moment when Wagner is fighting for Bakhmut, losing hundreds of its fighters every day."

Other developments:

►NATO is increasingly concerned that China is planning to provide "lethal support to Russia's war," NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said. Moscow is also looking for help from North Korea and Iran, he said.

►President Joe Biden was in Warsaw on Tuesday, meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda as he consults with NATO allies over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

►The EU climate czar says Putin unwittingly accelerated Europe's green transition with his war in Ukraine. Frans Timmermans said Tuesday that the 27-nation bloc has reduced dependency on Russian fossil fuels and increased renewable energy use.

► Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo says U.S. and allies' sanctions on the Kremlin and its military machine have degraded Russia’s ability to replace more than 9,000 pieces of military equipment lost in the war.

Trump says Biden's Ukraine policy could fuel WWIII

Former President Donald Trump warned that Biden's commitment to funding Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion is only expanding the conflict. Trump's comments came after Biden's secretive trip to Ukraine for a meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday. Trump says his personal relationship with Vladimir Putin would have kept the Russian president from invading Ukraine a year ago.

"If you watch and understand the moves being made by Biden on Ukraine, he is systematically, but perhaps unknowingly, pushing us into what could soon be WORLD WAR III," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network. "How crazy is that?"

'KYIV STANDS STRONG': Biden declares Putin ‘was wrong,’ marking one year of Russia’s war in Ukraine

Putin withdraws from nuclear treaty – but not completely

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday again blamed the West for provoking his invasion of Ukraine a year ago and suspended his country's participation in a nuclear arms treaty. Putin announced he was suspending Moscow's involvement in New START – a strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty between the U.S. and Russia. The treaty, signed in 2010 and extended for five years in 2021, limits each side to 1,550 long-range nuclear warheads.

After Putin's speech, the Foreign Ministry said Russia will respect the caps on nuclear weapons under the treaty. The ministry also said Russia will continue to exchange information about test launches of ballistic missiles per earlier agreements with the United States.

– Kim Hjelmgaard

Biden: Putin was wrong about Ukraine, Kyiv is 'standing free'

Biden said the world has responded to a "test for the ages" amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Russia as the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine draws near. Biden, in a speech outside the Kubicki Arcades palace in Warsaw, said Russian President Vladimir Putin thought Ukraine would "roll over" when he invaded, but he met the "iron will" of Ukrainians and nations everywhere. "He was wrong."

"One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv," Biden said. "Well I just came from visiting Kyiv, and I can report, Kyiv is standing strong. Kyiv is standing proud.  And most importantly, Kyiv is standing free."

– Rebecca Morin, Joey Garrison and Maureen Groppe

Russian Foreign Ministry summons US ambassador in Moscow

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned the American ambassador in Moscow and demanded withdrawal of all U.S.-NATO military equipment from Ukraine and an end to "hostile, anti-Russian activity," the ministry said in a statement.

The note of protest issued to Ambassador Lynne Tracy emphasized that the flow of  weapons and the transfer of target designations for strikes against "Russian military and civilian infrastructure" disprove American claims that the United States is not a party to the conflict.

The communication also demanded explanations about the explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines and urged the U.S. not to interfere with investigation into the blasts.

"The ambassador was told that the current aggressive course of the United States to deepen confrontation with Russia in all areas is counterproductive," the statement said.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

COMBATIVE SPEECH: Putin suspends nuclear arms treaty while lashing out at West over Ukraine war

A deeper dive:

• 'Kyiv stands strong’: Biden declares Putin ‘was wrong,’ marks one year of Russia’s war in Ukraine

• Putin suspends nuclear arms treaty while lashing out at West over Ukraine war

• Joe Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine ahead of Russian invasion anniversary, walks streets of Kyiv

• They counted the days until they could return to Ukraine. Now, they're not sure they'll go back

• Biden in Ukraine: See photos of president in Kyiv nearly one year after Russia's invasion

• As Americans grow weary of Ukraine war, Biden plans to mark Russia invasion anniversary

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine live updates: Rift between Russia's military widens