President Zelensky meets US officials
Russia’s army is on the brink of collapse but Vladimir Putin sees the loss of some 30,000 troops as a “price worth paying” for a small win in the Donbas region, it has been reported.
According to a report written by a “top UK analyst on Russia” and seen by the Daily Mirror, the Russian president still believes he can get a “partial victory” despite Kremlin insiders trying to convince him that the invasion has been a disaster.
It comes as fierce fighting continues Severdonestk, where Russia claims it controls half of the territory in the Donbas city.
Earlier EU leaders agreed to ban the import of Russian oil to the 27-nation bloc following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
“This immediately covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine,” EU Council president Charles Michel wrote on Twitter.
However, the embargo only applies to seaborne trade, not oil carried by pipelines.