An ally of President Vladimir Putin has warned that delivering weapons to Kyiv which threaten Russia will lead to a global catastrophe; UK’s MoD says Moscow will struggle to staff planned armed forces expansion. Listen to the latest episode of Ukraine War Diaries as you scroll.
A 67-year-old woman was killed in the eastern region of Kharkiv after Russian missiles hit a residential building.
Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov confirmed the news on Facebook.
The village, which is located close to the Russian border, was struck around 2.30pm.
In the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, Russian forces have launched a missile strike on critical infrastructure, the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in its evening briefing.
Speaking at a joint news conference Mr Macron said that he does not rule out the possibility of sending Leclerc tanks to Ukraine.
He said that sending tanks must not escalate the situation and must take into account the time to effectively train Ukrainians, whilst not endangering France’s own security.
“Regarding the Leclercs, I asked the army minister to work on it, but nothing has been ruled out,” he said.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Mr Scholz said that all future decisions on weapons deliveries will be made in coordination with allies, including the United States.
When confronted about the mounting pressure on the country to provide tanks to Ukraine, Mr Scholz said that all weapons deliveries to Ukraine so far have taken place in close coordination with Western partners.
France and Germany sought to overcome differences laid bare by Russia’s war in Ukraine, while marking 60 years since a landmark treaty sealed a bond between the long-time enemies.
Around 300 politicians from both countries came together at the Sorbonne University in Paris for a day of ceremonies and talks on Sunday.
Both countries have contributed significant weaponry to Ukraine, but the war has exposed differences in strategy between the two.
Most notably European talks have focused on how to deal with the resulting energy crisis and punishing inflation, as well as over future military investment.
“Putin’s imperialism will not win,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said of the war in Ukraine during the ceremony.
“We will not allow Europe to revert to a time when violence replaced politics and our continent was torn apart by hatred and national rivalries.”
The city of Bakhmut is almost under siege.
As you approach, the rumbling percussion of artillery echoes all around – it’s the sound of a coming storm.
The first thing that draws your eye is the smoke from shelling in the centre, spiralling up against a bruised skyline.
Russia‘s advance is choking routes into this desperate place, which is at the epicentre of this war.
We travelled on one of the remaining roads in.
You can read Sky’s international correspondent, Alex Rossi’s, full eyewitness account from Bakhmut below…
Retired Air Vice-Marshal Sean Bell explains why Western tanks given to Ukraine could prove decisive against Russian forces – and why Germany is reluctant to supply them.
Berlin is facing increasing pressure to allow the shipment of German-made Leopard 2 tanks and recent talks have failed to convince the country to send them to Ukraine.
Marshal Bell says this is not Germany “being difficult” but “as ever, it’s tied up in history”.
Watch his full explanation of why world actions post-WW2 are behind this decision here…
Ukraine’s government has praised the ex-prime minister in the wake of his visit, saying: “Friends like this are worth more than a squadron of tanks.”
Kyiv has reportedly dismissed deputy minister Vasyl Lozynskiy who allegedly received a $400,000 (£322,870) bribe.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau detained Deputy Minister Vasyl Lozynskiy on 21 January.
The deputy minister allegedly accepted $400,000 in bribes for the procurement of electricity generators.
Boris Johnson has met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a surprise visit to Ukraine. The former prime minister was also seen visiting Borodianka, Bucha and the other suburbs of Kyiv.
Mr Johnson is under fire amid allegations BBC chairman Richard Sharp helped the former prime minister arrange a guarantee for a loan – and that Mr Johnson later recommended Mr Sharp for the role of BBC chair.
Rishi Sunak is “supportive” of Boris Johnson’s visit to Ukraine, Downing Street has said.
The Prime Minister’s press secretary said he is “always supportive of all colleagues showing that the UK is behind Ukraine and will continue to support them”.
The MP and ex-prime minister has now released a statement explaining his visit to the war-torn country.
He says: “It is a privilege to visit Ukraine at the invitation of President Zelenskyy. The suffering of the people of Ukraine has gone on for too long. The only way to end this war is for Ukraine to win – and to win as fast as possible.
“This is the moment to double down, and to give the Ukrainians all the tools they need to finish the job. The sooner Putin fails, the better for Ukraine and for the whole world.”
A spokesperson said they would not comment on any specifics of the trip for security reasons and said Mr Johnson fully supports UK government policy on Ukraine, including the recent decision to send Challenger tanks.
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