Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with US President Joe Biden and discussed “the American leadership on anti-Russian sanctions and defense assistance to Ukraine.”
“Just had a conversation with @POTUS. The American leadership on anti-Russian sanctions and defense assistance to Ukraine was discussed. We must stop the aggressor as soon as possible. Thank you for your support,” Zelensky tweeted.
As the war between Russia and Ukraine entered its sixth day on Tuesday, the Russian military started encircling several Ukrainian cities. Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to the Ukrainian President, said Russian forces were trying to encircle Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Arestovich said during an address on Ukrainian television that Russian troops had bombed Kyiv, Kharkiv and the southern port city of Mariupol overnight.
She also claimed that in response, the Ukrainian army shot down Russian military planes around Kyiv. Arestovich has stated that the current situation is under control.
According to new satellite images released by Maxar Technologies, the Russian military convoy has reached the outskirts of Kyiv and appears to be over 40 miles (64 kilometers) long.
Volodymyr Zelensky earlier said the protection of Kyiv is the “key priority” for the state. “We are fighting just for our land and our freedom,” Zelensky told European Parliament. “We desire to see our children alive. I think it’s a fair one.”
He added, “We are fighting for our life … We are fighting for survival. This is the highest of our motivation. But we are fighting also to be equal members of Europe,” he added. “I believe that today we are showing everybody that’s exactly what we are.”