Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to Poland today as Washington pledged $2.6billion worth of weapons and military assistance for his country.
Mr Zelensky was seeking to galvanise military and political support in Warsaw as Kyiv prepares to ramp up plans for a counter-offensive against Russia’s invaders in the coming weeks.
The US last night pledged more help for Ukraine, including three air surveillance radar systems, anti-tank rockets and fuel trucks.
It came after Finland became the 31st member of Nato, representing a major change in Europe’s security landscape.
Foreign minister Pekka Haavisto signed an accession document and handed it to US secretary of state Antony Blinken, during a ceremony in Brussels. President Joe Biden welcomed the country as part of the military alliance and indicated Sweden could be next to join.
“Your addition to our alliance will make us stronger than ever,” he said, “I also look forward to welcoming Sweden as a Nato ally as soon as possible.” Vladimir Putin’s troops are continuing with the long and costly battle to seize Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
Both sides have suffered huge casualties and much of the mining city has been reduced to ruins after months of bombardments. Its fate was unclear this morning after Russian forces said at the weekend they had captured the city centre — a claim dismissed by Kyiv.
Mr Zelensky arrived in Warsaw for discussions with the close ally that has taken in millions of Ukrainian refugees and provided vital weaponry. The Polish public overwhelming support Ukrainians in the war, an Ipsos poll found. Some 82 per cent of Poles think Nato and EU countries should back Ukraine.
But some Polish farmers threatened to disrupt today’s visit and the country’s agriculture minister Henryk Kowalczyk resigned amid rising anger over the impact cheap Ukrainian grain imports have had on pushing down prices.
“We want any trade with Ukraine not to destabilise our market,” Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.
It comes as French president Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing today for a visit in which he hopes to dissuade China from supporting Putin’s invasion.
