In the view of President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, the war in Ukraine can ultimately only be ended through diplomacy. The war will be “bloody, there will be fierce fighting, but it will only end definitively through diplomacy,” Zelenskyi told Ukrainian television station ICTV on Saturday. At the same time he demanded further arms deliveries from the West.

After completely capturing the port city of Mariupol, the Russian army continued to increase the pressure in eastern Ukraine.

The situation at a glance:

US President Joe Biden signed a new $40 billion aid package for Ukraine on Saturday. Among other things, it includes six billion dollars for armored vehicles and air defense systems for the Ukrainian armed forces. In a meeting with Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa, Zelenskyy renewed his call for armored vehicles for the Ukrainian army and for a real prospect of EU membership.