Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Western leaders to step up weapons supplies to his country as Russian forces fought to capture Lysychansk, the last big city still held by Ukrainian troops in eastern Luhansk province.
Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai said Lysychansk was suffering “catastrophic” damage from shelling as Russian forces targeted the city following the fall of neighbouring Sievierodonetsk over the weekend.
Zelenskiy was due to make a video address on Monday to leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced industrial nations who are meeting in Germany. Overnight, he stressed the urgency of the need for more arms, including a modern air defence system.
“Partners need to move faster if they are really partners, not observers. Delays with the weapons transfers to our state, any restrictions – this is actually an invitation for Russia to hit again and again,” he said.
In Germany, U.S. President Joe Biden told allies “we have to stay together” against Russia in the face of its assault on Ukraine, now in its fifth month.
The United States is likely to announce this week the purchase of advanced medium to long range surface-to-air missile defence for Ukraine, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The G7 summit, taking place in the Bavarian Alps, is dominated by the war in Ukraine and its impact on food and energy supplies and the global economy.
At the meeting’s start, four nations moved to ban imports of Russian gold to tighten the sanctions squeeze on Moscow and cut off its means of financing the invasion of Ukraine. It was not clear whether there was consensus on the plan.
Sanctions have effectively cut Russia out of the global financial system although with its exports curtailed, they have also created difficulties for countries way beyond Russia’s borders.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no sign of changing course as his troops battled to pick off another Ukrainian city.
