Russia Ukraine war live updates: Putin to redouble attacks during EU summit, says Zelensky

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has said the alliance will not stop supporting Ukraine even in the face of a protracted conflict.

“We must prepare for the fact that it could take years [to end the war],” he said. “We must not let up in supporting Ukraine.”

The top Nato official said increased supplies of state-of-the-art weaponry to Ukraine would improve the country’s chances of freeing its eastern region, the Donbas, from Russian occupation.

A majority of the Donbas has fallen under Russian control in the last month.

On Sunday, Russian officials said that the country’s offensive to take control of the city of Sievierodonetsk — currently Moscow’s main target after it failed to capture Kyiv — was proceeding successfully.

Ukrainian fighters are still holding out in Sievierodonetsk, a key strategic city in the Donbas region, despite a huge Russian offensive there, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.

He added that the battle is also raging in Kharkiv.

“The occupiers are accumulating forces in the Kharkiv direction, in the Zaporizhzhia region. They struck at our fuel infrastructure again – they want to worsen the fuel situation. Of course, we will respond to this, too,” Mr Zelensky said.

He added: “Fierce fighting continues in Donbas. The Russian army uses the greatest number of artillery there, the greatest number of offensive forces.”

“But Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk, Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka and other hot spots are holding on. Our people are like that. They are holding on. Our army is holding on,” Mr Zelensky said.

Ukraine will exhibit pieces of destroyed Russian military equipment across five cities in Europe, country’s defence minister Oleksii Reznikov told Polish news channel Polsat News.

“We will help ensure that Russian tanks end up in Europe, but in the form of wreckage,” the defence minister said, reported The Kyiv Independent.

The destroyed Russian military equipment will be showcased in Warsaw, Berlin, Paris, Madrid and Lisbon, the minister said.

Russia will intensify its offensive against Ukraine this week with European Union leaders set to discuss the besieged country’s bid to enter the bloc, Volodymyr Zelensky said late on Sunday, adding that “we are ready”.

“Obviously, we should expect greater hostile activity from Russia. Purposefully – demonstratively. This week exactly. And not only against Ukraine, but also against other European countries. We are preparing. We are ready. We warn partners,” Mr Zelensky said.

He added that he will deliver new addresses this week, including to Europeans.

“I will take every opportunity to defend the European perspective for Ukraine, for each of us, and to gather new supporters for us,” he said in his nightly address on Sunday.

Ukraine had sought to become a member of the EU just four days after the invasion began on 24 February.

Top officials in the bloc recommended on Friday that Ukraine receive candidate status.

Ukraine’s parliament voted through two laws which will place severe restrictions on Russian books and music as Kyiv seeks to break many remaining cultural ties between the two countries.

One law will forbid the printing of books by Russian citizens, unless they renounce their Russian passport and take Ukrainian citizenship. The ban will only apply to those who held Russian citizenship after the 1991 collapse of Soviet rule.

It will also ban the commercial import of books printed in Russia, Belarus, and occupied Ukrainian territory, while also requiring special permission for the import of books in Russian from any other country.

Another law will prohibit the playing of music by post-1991 Russian citizens on media and on public transport, while also increasing quotas on Ukrainian-language speech and music content in TV and radio broadcasts.

The laws need to be signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to take effect, and there is no indication that he opposes either.

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has accused his own 5-Star Movement party of undermining government efforts to support Ukraine and weakening Rome’s standing within the European Union.

In a statement, Di Maio said the government had to defend the values of democracy and freedom, adding that while everyone wanted peace, Russian President Vladimir Putin was pursuing war.

He also stated that 5-Star leaders were attacking him with “hatred” and causing trouble for the government with its European partners.

“(This is) an immature attitude that tends to create tensions and instability within the government,” he added.

President Zelensky said on Sunday that he expects Russia to intensify its attacks on his country while Kyiv awaits a European Union decision this week on granting Ukraine the status of a candidate country.

“Obviously, this week we should expect from Russia an intensification of its hostile activities, as an example,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

“And not only against Ukraine, but also against other European countries. We are preparing. We are ready.”