Ukraine: As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entered its 21st day, Russia’s defence ministry spokesperson claimed that Ukraine’s southern Kherson region was now completely under Russian control. In his latest address, Ukraine President Zelenskyy urged Russian troops to surrender over the “shame” of continuing with the war. He said the war had become a “nightmare” and that Russia had lost more soldiers in Ukraine than during both Chechen wars combined.
The White House announced that US President Joe Biden will travel to Europe to take part in a historic Nato meeting next week to discuss their response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Ukraine is not going to join Nato “any time soon,” after the country’s president acknowledged Ukraine would not become part of the Western military alliance.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said that Ukraine realised it could not join NATO, his most explicit acknowledgement that the goal, enshrined in Ukraine’s constitution, was unlikely to be met. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has cut its world oil demand forecast for the year 2022, warning that sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine could spark a global supply “shock”.
US President Joe Biden is also expected to travel to Brussels next week for a Nato leaders summit. As talks between Russia and Ukraine continue, the Russian foreign ministry has stated that there was “hope for reaching a compromise” with Ukraine. Ukraine’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that more than a hundred children have been killed in twenty days of the war. “Russia will be held to account and will pay for everything,” the ministry said.