Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted for the first time that Ukraine can never join Nato - in what is a significant concession that opened the way for a potential peace deal with Russia, reports the Telegraph.
The Ukrainian president told European leaders including Boris Johnson in a video conference summit that he accepted his country would not become a member of the military alliance.
"Of course Ukraine is not a Nato member, we understand that," Mr Zelensky told the gathering of politicians from Joint Expeditionary Force nations, a northern European security coalition. "We have heard for many years about the open doors, but we also heard that we can't enter those doors. This is the truth and we have simply to accept it as it is."
The United Nations, meanwhile, has revealed that more than three million people have now fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24. "We have now reached the three-million mark in terms of movement of people out of Ukraine," Paul Dillon, spokesman for the UN's International Organisation for Migration, told reporters in Geneva.
Zelensky tells Boris Johnson and Joint Expeditionary Force how to stop Russia
Mr Zelensky went on to outline to the member states of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) how to stop Russian aggression and ensure lasting peace on the European continent, according to the president's website. President Zelensky said that if Ukraine cannot join Nato, it "must work with communities available", like the JEF, which is a UK-led expeditionary force featuring Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.
"Our people will always remember who came to the rescue at the most difficult time for our state," Mr Zelensky said, thanking "partner countries" for the support and assistance they have provided so far.
He added: “The Russian invasion of Ukraine destroyed everything that security in our region, and I am sure international security, was based on. The weight of the organisations we all hoped for. The force of international conventions. It has also called into question the world's most powerful alliance, Nato.”
Zelensky sends dire warning to Russia and its citizens
The Ukrainian President then issued a dire warning to Russia and its citizens, as the 20th day of the war between the two countries drew to an end.
In an address to his nation and the watching world, Mr Zelensky spoke directly to "citizens of Russia", the "officials of the Russian Federation" and people working in the Russian media "propaganda system". He told them the war would end in their "shame and poverty" with "years of isolation" - and that "what happens next depends on your actions".
Zelensky meets fellow European leaders in Kyiv
Also on Tuesday, President Zelensky met with the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia and thanked them for their support since the Russian invasion began.
Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala and Prime Minister of Slovenia Janez Janša visited Kyiv for talks on security, strengthening sanctions against Russia and the prospects of Ukraine's membership in the European Union.
"At a time when many ambassadors have left Ukraine in connection with the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, these dignitaries, leaders of their beautiful independent European states, fear nothing, care for our fate more, and they are here to support us," he said.
Shmyhal: Russia has caused $500bn in damages
Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, meanwhile, claims his country has suffered more than $500bn (£383bn) in damages since the invasion began three weeks ago - and insists Russia should pay for its restoration once it ends, reports the BBC.
Shmyhal did not go into how exactly reparations could be collected, even if Ukraine did win the war, but mentioned seizing Russian property abroad. He added that Ukraine would also seek financial assistance from allies. The PM was speaking at Tuesday's meeting with leaders of three of its neighbouring nations - Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic - who had travelled to Kyiv for talks.
Zelensky asks Canada to protect Ukraine's skies from Russia
In other news, President Zelensky called on the Canadian government to support a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
Speaking at length via video-link on the 20th day of Russia's invasion, Mr Zelensky thanked Canada for its support thus far, but issued a renewed call for the nation to help install a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Nato has so far ruled out imposing one for fear of entering into a direct war with Russia themselves.
Mr Zelensky used examples of Canadian landmarks such as Ottawa Airport and the CN Tower, comparing them to those bombarded in his own nation in a bid to pull on the heartstrings of MPs.
122,000 offer homes for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine
Back home, meanwhile, more than 120,000 individuals and organisations have expressed an interest in taking in Ukrainian refugees, the Government has said. According to the latest figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, 122,305 expressions of interest have so far been received by the Homes for Ukraine programme.
The response to the scheme, which encourages members of the public to throw open their homes to people fleeing the fighting in Ukraine, comes amid intense criticism of the Government’s response to the refugee crisis. Downing Street welcomed the “huge” public response to the appeal for accommodation as a sign of the support in the UK for the Ukrainian people.
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