Last update 38 minutes ago
Zelensky, on Monday, in a video address, asked the leaders of the Group of Seven summit, for assistance in the export of grain and reconstruction
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday urged world leaders meeting at the Group of Seven summit to do their best to end the Russian invasion of his country by the end of the year, a source told AFP.
In his closed video address to a gathering of commanders in the German Alps, Zelensky said the conditions of the battle would make it more difficult for his forces to wage their fight.
He said that the war, which, if it exceeds the winter, carries a danger even further.
A European official said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had requested anti-aircraft defense systems, more sanctions once morest Russia and security guarantees.
“In his speech to the summit in the Bavarian Alps via video link, Zelensky also requested assistance in the export of grain from Ukraine and reconstruction aid,” said the European official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Despite multiple rounds of punitive measures unleashed by the Western allies on Moscow, Zelensky appealed to them “not to ease the pressure and continue to punish Russia intensely and severely”.
For his part, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the leaders of the Group of Seven adhere to their unified position in support of Ukraine, while being careful not to escalate the conflict.
Schultz stressed that the policies of the G7 countries are “to a large extent compatible”.
“We are discussing all topics on the agenda, in particular remaining united in support of Ukraine once morest Russian aggression, and the policies of all our countries are largely compatible,” he added.
photo released, EPA
A building destroyed by the Russian bombing in Kyiv
He explained that leaders are “making difficult decisions” to help Ukraine, while avoiding “a major conflict between Russia and NATO.”
This comes following Kyiv and other regions were subjected to a barrage of Russian missile strikes last weekend, killing at least one person.
In eastern Ukraine, Russia has taken full control of Severodonetsk and is targeting the neighboring Lyschansk region.
On Sunday, Zelensky said the delay in arms deliveries was an “invitation to Russia to strike once more and once more.”
In his daily video chat, Zelensky also called for giving his country air defense systems and imposing new sanctions on Russia.
“Partners need to move faster if they are already partners and not monitors,” he said.
The war in Ukraine is high on the agenda of the Group of Seven, and countries are expected to promise more military support to Kiev and impose more sanctions on Moscow.
Western leaders are trying to present a united front, with German Chancellor Olaf Schulz saying the Russian missile strikes showed it was “right to stand together and support the Ukrainians.”
photo released, Getty Images
Firefighters try to control a fire in a wrecked apartment building in Kyiv
Earlier, US President Joe Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was counting on the “fragmentation and defection” of NATO and the Group of Seven, “but we did not and will not do that.”
However, James Landall, the BBC’s diplomatic correspondent attending the summit, said Western unity on the war had faltered in recent weeks, with some leaders discussing long-standing relations with Russia and others stressing strong and enduring support for Ukraine.
BBC political editor Chris Mason said some British government officials fear France, in particular, is losing its appetite for long-term war as domestic political pressure builds.
The G7 summit in Bavaria will be followed by a NATO meeting in Spain later this week at which Zelensky is also expected to speak.
James Landal analysis – Diplomatic Affairs Correspondent
This summit has a broad agenda, from tackling climate change to helping infrastructure-poor countries. But the Ukrainian problem continues to dominate.
The G7 leaders are expected to provide more support and impose more sanctions on Russia. But even Boris Johnson – one of Zelensky’s staunch supporters – admits that defending Ukraine’s sovereignty has dire consequences for the rest of the world, particularly rising food and energy costs.
That is why the leaders of South Africa, Indonesia, India and Senegal have been invited to join the summit today to discuss what more can be done to tackle global inflation. A cap on the price of Russian oil is one idea being considered.
Russian missile strikes targeted the city of Kyiv and the center of Cherkassy, where one person was killed, and the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine, as well as Chernihiv in the north, Zhytomyr and Lviv, west of the capital. The Starichy district of Lviv, just 30 kilometers from the border with NATO member Poland, was also bombed.
photo released, EPA
A picture of the G7 leaders in Bavaria
The Ukrainian military said some missiles were fired from Tupolev launchers over the Caspian Sea, 1,450 km away. Missiles were also fired from Tupolevs flying over neighboring Belarus, earlier.
In Kyiv, the floors of a nine-storey apartment building were smashed. A seven-year-old girl was injured and underwent surgery. Her condition was later described as stable. Her mother, a Russian national, was also pulled from the rubble.
The Russian Defense Ministry said high-precision weapons had hit Ukrainian army training centers and denied hitting civilian targets.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the attacks were an attempt to intimidate Ukraine ahead of the G7 summit.
In eastern Ukraine, Russia captured Severodonetsk following weeks of fighting that reduced much of the industrial city to rubble.
Ukrainian forces are believed to have withdrawn to the nearby city of Lysichansk, which lies on high ground across the Seversky Donets River.
The city is one of the few remaining districts of the Luhansk region still in Ukrainian hands. Luhansk and neighboring Donetsk make up the Donbass region, and President Putin says control of the Donbass River is Russia’s main war objective.
