Volodymyr Zelenskiy addressed the European parliament on Thursday morning, saying Ukraine “will join the European Union” and thanking the bloc’s members for their support during Russia’s invasion.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said Paris would “continue the efforts” to deliver arms to Kyiv, adding that France was determined to help Ukraine towards “victory, peace and Europe”. “Russia cannot and must not win,” he said, adding that “the future of Europe” was at stake in Ukraine. The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said it was clear that Moscow would not win, and assured Ukraine its future was in the EU, saying Ukraine was part of the “European family”. “Putin will not achieve his goals – not on the battlefield and not through a dictated peace.”
Zelenskiy also made an emotional appeal to the UK to supply Ukraine with fighter jets on a surprise visit to the UK on Wednesday. “I appeal to you and the world with simple and yet most important words: combat aircrafts – for Ukraine! Wings – for freedom!” he said. Rishi Sunak, previously opposed to handing over UK jets, has ordered a defence ministry review into whether Zelenskiy’s request can be met, saying “nothing was off the table”.
Pledges of support by Sunak, the UK prime minister, included training Ukrainian pilots on advanced Nato fighter jets “to ensure Ukraine can defend its skies well into the future”. Sunak added: “The first step in being able to provide advanced aircraft is to have soldiers or aviators that are capable of using them. That is a process. It takes some time, we’ve started that process today.”
The Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said there was no sign of Russia preparing for peace. “On the contrary, Moscow is preparing for new military offensives,” he said during a joint press conference with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken.
The head of Estonia’s foreign intelligence service has warned there is a “high likelihood” of a major Russian offensive in Ukraine in the coming weeks and months.
The founder of Wagner group’s claim that the private military company has stopped recruiting convicted criminals from prisons to fight in Ukraine has not convinced close observers. “Recruitment has been ongoing,” one prisoners’ rights activist . “The question is by whom? Something is wrong here.” The person asked not to be named for fear of retribution.
Russian forces have significantly stepped up attacks in eastern Ukraine and are trying to break through Ukrainian defences near the town of Kreminna, a regional governor has said. Serhiy Haidai, the governor of the Luhansk region, said Ukraine’s military were holding their ground near Kreminna, which Russian forces have held for months, but said they needed more weapons and ammunition to hold out, Reuters reports.
