Zelenskiy calls on west to make ‘strong decisions’ as he seeks permission to use weapons deep inside Russia – Europe live

Summary of the day thus far

Speaking at the 4th Crimea Platform, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said today:

In Crimea – and in all of Ukraine – Ukrainians fight for the inalienable right of people to choose their own future, and to have their human rights respected. They fight for the right of nations to have their sovereignty, their territorial integrity, their independence respected – principles at the very heart of the United Nations Charter.

And when the United States and so many other partners stand with Ukraine, we not only help affirm those rights for Ukrainians, we help affirm them for all nations – and for all people.

That’s why we are proud to join Ukraine in reaffirming, today and every day: Crimea is Ukraine.

David Lammy also said the west is “listening carefully” to Ukraine’s needs, the PA news agency reported.

Lammy said he and his American counterpart, Antony Blinken, were to “listen to Ukraine, to speak to President Zelenskiy, to hear and understand the strategy”.

When asked if the UK would allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles against targets in Russia, Lammy said:

We’re here to listen, to understand the plan, to understand the strategy and understand the needs across a whole range of fronts.

Yes, of course, equipment but of course energy that has been sabotaged, the support that’s needed on the humanitarian front over these next few months and how we continue to mobilise the international community on Ukraine’s behalf.

So we are listening carefully and, of course, we are having discussions on a range of issues including the military equipment that Ukraine needs to win.

Lammy pledges £600m in Ukraine support from UK

Zelenskiy calls on UK and US to make ‘strong decisions’ as he seeks permission to use long range weapons deep inside Russia

Emmanuel Macron has reaffirmed “that France continues to stand resolutely with Ukraine and its people in defense of their territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

Three civilians killed in eastern Ukraine

Russia could ‘combine potential’ with China in face of aggression, Kremlin’s foreign ministry says

The UK government has called for Russia to re-engage with the Forum for Security cooperation (OSCE) and to end its war in Ukraine.

In a speech in Vienna, the UK’s politico-military counsellor at the UK delegation to the OSCE Ankur Narayan said:

Russia claims that it wants peace. Peace is in its gift – by withdrawing all of its forces to outside of Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders. Russia claims that it is serious about dialogue and risk reduction. If that is true, it must re-engage seriously and professionally with an OSCE that meets, as mandated by our ministers, each week.

Russia’s RIA state news agency has said that Russian forces overflew the Barents and Norwegian seas with Tu-160 strategic bomber planes as part of naval exercises.

Reuters reports that the exercises are believed to be the largest since the Soviet era, and include more than 90,000 service personnel.

“We must stand up to Vladimir Putin’s imperialism,” David Lammy, the British foreign secretary, said in a social media post as he visits Kyiv.

“Our collective security depends on it,” he said.

Denys Shmyhal, the Ukrainian prime minister, said he thanked the British foreign secretary, David Lammy, for a new military aid package and support for Ukraine’s energy sector.

“We also spoke about the supply of air defence systems to Ukraine and the situation in the energy sector. Thanks to the help of our partners, we are rebuilding what was destroyed by Russia. We are grateful to the UK Government and the British people for their strong and unwavering support for,” he added.

Gitanas Nausėda, the Lithuanian president, has opened a defence industry forum in Kyiv.

“Employment in the defence industry is growing, and high-tech & engineering are helping develop modern battlefield solutions,” he said.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, has pushed back against western governments’ concerns a day after the US and others said Tehran has supplied ballistic missiles to Russia.

“Iran has NOT delivered ballistic missiles to Russia. Period,” he wrote, adding: “Sanction addicts should ask themselves: how is Iran able to make & supposedly sell sophisticated arms?”