European Union leaders and Ukrainian officials are gathering for a summit in Kyiv to discuss Ukraine’s push to join the bloc.
Air raid sirens ring out across Ukraine before the talks, which are not expected to result in a rapid path to EU membership for Ukraine.
Ukraine will not ‘give away’ Bakhmut, says Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy says Ukraine will fight to hold on to the “fortress” city of Bakhmut for as long as possible, urging allies to supply long-range weapons to help push back Russian forces.
“Nobody will give away Bakhmut. We will fight for as long as we can. We consider Bakhmut our fortress,” Zelenskyy told a news conference in Kyiv with top EU officials following a summit.
“Ukraine would be able to hold Bakhmut and liberate occupied Donbas if it received long-range weapons,” he said.
EU’s chief says there are ‘no rigid timelines’ for Ukraine’s accession
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said there are no rigid timelines for Ukraine to join the EU.
“There are no rigid timelines, but there are goals that you [Ukraine] have to reach,” Von der Leyen told a news conference following a summit in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Von der Leyen also said the EU’s next sanctions package against Russia would target components used in Russian drones used in Ukraine.
Tenth package of Russia sanctions on the way, EU president saysThe head of the European Commission has announced that the EU is working on a 10th sanctions package against Russia.
“The 10th package is on its way,” Ursula von der Leyen said in a recorded joint press conference with Zelenskyy and European Council President Charles Michel.
“We have the aim to have it in place by the 24th of February.”Von der Leyen said the new package was worth about 10 billion euros ($10.8bn).
“The plan is to focus once more on technology that can and should not be used by Russia’s war machine,” she said.
“In other words, we look deeper into components that were found, for example, in drones to make sure that there’s zero availability for Russia of these technologies or the drones’ production, for example, in Iran.”
‘Russia must be banned from all international sports’:
Denmark opposes Russian athletes participating in the Paris Olympics next year even under a neutral flag, its culture minister says, according to the local news agency Ritzau.“It is Denmark’s official position that we must not waver in relation to Russia,” Jakob Engel-Schmidt said.
“The government’s line is clear. Russia must be banned from all international sports as long as their attacks on Ukraine continue,” he said.
The International Olympic Committee announced last week that athletes from Russia might be allowed to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
After multiple pleas from Ukraine, several Western countries are expected to send crucial artillery stocks and tanks to help Kyiv in its war efforts.
But Russia has warned that adding Western weapons on the battlefield will not change much but will escalate the conflict.
Al Jazeera’s Inside Story looks into whether the increase in arms deliveries will result in the war becoming a European conflict.
More details are coming .
