That's our live blog wrapping up for Thursday night. 

We're back early on Friday morning with all the latest developments. 

Angela Merkel urges allies to stop Russia's 'barbaric war' 

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has slammed Russia’s attack on Ukraine and suggested a possible return to the limelight in her first semi-public comments since leaving office, the country’s dpa news agency reported Thursday.

Speaking at a trade union event late Wednesday, Merkel reportedly said she felt the need to address the war in Ukraine despite not wanting to provide any commentary from the sidelines, having stepped down as chancellor last December.

Dpa quoted the former long-time leader saying she supported “all efforts by the German government as well as the European Union, the United States, our partners in the G-7, in NATO and the UN to stop the barbaric war of attack by Russia." 

Merkel also expressed solidarity with Ukraine and said she supported Kyiv’s right to self-defense, dpa reported.

It was unclear whether Merkel addressed the criticism directed at her by Ukrainian officials for backing energy deals with Russian President Vladimir Putin even after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Her office didn’t immediately respond to a request for a transcript of the speech.

The 67-year-old also emphasized the importance of unity within the European Union’s 27 nations, saying everyone should contribute to the goal of unity on the continent, according to dpa.

Merkel hinted that she herself might play a role in that at the European level going forward.

“I will have to disappoint those who are counting on me disappearing,” dpa quoted her as saying.

(AP)

Istanbul meeting to discuss 'grain export corridors' from Ukraine

Turkey’s state-run news agency on Thursday said officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations will meet in Istanbul soon to discuss plans for the establishment of a “corridor” that would allow the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.

The Anadolu Agency said the sides are set to discuss a possible route for the corridor, insurance issues and security for the corridor. They are also slated to take up the need to clear the route of mines as well as the creation of a command center that would oversee the mechanism.

Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports is preventing the supply of millions of tons of grain around the world.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the need for a corridor for the export of agricultural products during telephone calls with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week.

(AP)

NATO: West should prepare for a 'long-term war of attrition' in Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Western countries must prepare for a "long-term war of attrition" in Ukraine. 

He made the comments after a meeting on Thursday afternoon with US President Joe Biden. 

"We have to be prepared for the long term. Because what we see is that this war has now become a war of attrition," Stoltenberg told reporters.

Jens Stoltenberg is in the US capital to prepare for the NATO summit scheduled for 28-30 June in Madrid and said he intended to achieve results before the event.

Reiterating that NATO did not want to enter into direct confrontation with Russia, the Secretary General said the Western military alliance had a "responsibility" to support Ukraine.

"Most wars - and certainly this war - end at some point through negotiations, but what we know is that what happens at the negotiating table is very closely linked to the situation on the ground, on the battlefield," he added.

Asked about potential Western pressure on Ukraine to accept territorial cessions in order to reach a peace agreement, Stoltenberg said: "It is not for us to decide or to have an opinion on what Ukraine should or should not accept.

Jens Stoltenberg would not comment on whether there were any discussions within NATO about maritime corridors to move grain out of Ukraine. 

"The easiest way to get more grain out and reduce the pressure on food prices is for President Putin to end the war," he said, while expressing support for initiatives by NATO allies, in coordination with the UN, to develop new export routes by land or sea.

Since the start of the invasion, Russian troops have taken control of parts of southern Ukraine - most of Kherson and part of Zaporizhia - and have made slow progress in the eastern Donbas region, including the capture of Mariupol.

(AFP)

US slaps new sanctions on Russian financier

The United States on Thursday announced a new round of sanctions to pressure Vladimir Putin to abandon the war in Ukraine, targeting his close friend and "financier" Sergei Pavlovich Roldugin and a superyacht brokerage firm for Russian oligarchs.

The US Treasury, State Department and Commerce Department are targeting a range of new oligarchs or members of the Moscow "elite", including Russian diplomatic spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Several yachts regularly used, according to Washington, by the Russian president are also on the US blacklist, including "Graceful", "Olympia", "Shellest" and "Nega".

"The United States will continue to work with our allies and partners to make the government of the Russian Federation pay a high price for its aggression against Ukraine and blatant disregard for human rights and fundamental freedoms," US diplomatic chief Antony Blinken warned in a statement.

In a separate statement, the Treasury said it was going after "key networks used by Russia's elites, including President Vladimir Putin himself, to attempt to hide and move money and anonymously enjoy their luxury possessions around the globe" -- thereby evading unprecedented Western sanctions imposed since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.

Among the most prominent figures in this new round of US sanctions is cellist Sergei Pavlovich Roldugin, a close friend of the Russian head of state "for more than forty years" but also presented as his "fund manager", "member of a system that manages" his "offshore fortune". He was sanctioned by the European Union at the end of February.

(AFP)

Moldova bans Russian news broadcasts 

Moldova's parliament passed a law on Thursday banning the broadcasting of Russian news programmes in the country, where the tug-of-war between pro-Western and pro-Russian interests has intensified with the conflict in Ukraine.

According to the law on "information security", "the broadcasting on radio and television of news, military, political and analytical programmes from countries that have not ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television" is forbidden.

In addition, 50% of the foreign programmes broadcast on television must come from the European Union, the United States or the signatories of this European convention.

In concrete terms, Moldovan television channels will only be able to broadcast Russian films, series, music programmes or entertainment programmes.

Russian authorities have been highly critical of Moldova, a country with a Romanian-speaking majority but a large Russian-speaking minority, especially as it has strongly supported Kyiv since the start of the war.

The government has taken in war refugees, applied for EU membership, and been promised a significant increase in military aid from the West. 

(AFP) 

Lithuania gets 'free' drone from Turkish manufacturer

Inspired by an act of generosity by Lithuanians, a Turkish manufacturer is donating a drone that will go to the war-torn country of Ukraine, Lithuania's defense minister said Thursday.

Last week, Lithuanians raised €5.9 million in several days to buy a drone for Ukraine. Lithuanian officials had travelled to Turkey to sign a contract with the producer to acquire it.

But Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas wrote on Facebook that the Turkish manufacturer was so “impressed” by the Lithuanian people that it is “donating a drone Bayraktar TB2 to Lithuania.”

The Lithuanian government plans to send the drone to Ukraine later this month.

Some €1.5 million of the money raised by Lithuanians will be spent on drone munition, while the remaining €4.4 million would be earmarked for humanitarian and other assistance to Ukraine, Anusauskas said.

Von der Leyen urges EU help for Ukraine to become a member

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says it's in the European Union's strategic interest but also “our moral duty” to make it possible for Ukraine to join the 30-nation bloc.

Von der Leyen made her remarks on Thursday at an international security conference in Slovakia’s capital. She spoke after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s gave a video address at the annual gathering.

Zelenskyy has asked for more weapons for Ukraine’s armed forces to be able to prevail over the invading Russian military, called for more EU sanctions against Russia, and repeated his country’s request to become “a full-fledge member of the united Europe.”

Von der Leyen says Ukraine must meet all necessary standards and conditions to be able to join but she has called on the EU to help Ukraine achieve its goal.

She said: “Supporting Ukraine on its path to the European Union, it is not a burden, it is our historic responsibility.”

(AP)

Patriarch Kirill excluded from EU sanctions after Hungary’s objection

Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia's Orthodox Church, will be excluded from the latest package of EU sanctions against Russia after Hungary's objection, three diplomats have told Euronews.

Brussels accuses Patriarch Kirill of supporting the invasion of Ukraine and acting as a propagandist for Vladimir Putin’s regime.

Read more at our story here:

Patriarch Kirill excluded from EU sanctions after Hungary’s objection

If Russia prevails 'dark times will come for everybody', says Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says if Russia prevails in its war in Ukraine “then the dark times will come for everyone” in Europe.

Addressing the parliament in Luxembourg via a video link on Thursday, Zelenskyy said: “If we win this war, all Europeans will be able to continue enjoying their freedom.”

“But if this one person who wants to destroy any freedom in Ukraine and Europe prevails, then dark times will come for everyone on the continent,” he added, referring to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

He said Russia currently controls almost 20% of Ukraine’s territory, an area larger than Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg combined, and that “tens of thousands” of people have died in the first 99 days of the war.

“This is what it means, in fact, to characterize this war as full-scale,” Zelenskyy said. “And this is why we are calling the world for their support.”

(AP)

'Absolutely undesirable and rather unpleasant scenarios' if Western weapons used against Russia, warns Kremlin  

A Kremlin spokesman has warned of “absolutely undesirable and rather unpleasant scenarios” should weapons supplied to Ukraine by the West be used to hit targets in Russia. 

Dmitry Peskov made the remarks to reporters during his daily conference on Thursday, adding that “the pumping" of weapons “will bring more suffering to Ukraine, which is merely a tool in the hands of those countries that supply it with weapons.”

The Kremlin's fiery rhetoric comes as the UK said on Thursday it would send sophisticated medium-range rocket systems to Ukraine.

This came off the back of a pledge by the United States and Germany that they would equip the embattled nation with advanced weapons for shooting down aircraft and knocking out artillery.

“This will significantly change the situation in an unfavourable direction,” Peskov said.

(AP)

Sweden moves to provide more financial and military support for Ukraine 

The Swedish government presented a bill to parliament giving further military support to Ukraine Thursday.

Worth more than €95 million ($101 million), the package will include anti-ship missiles, civil protection and financial support. 

Russian shoppers facing shrinking options on store shelves

The variety of goods on sale at Russian shops has plummeted across nearly every category this spring, according to the research company NielsenIQ. 

Nielsen estimates that from March 21 to May 1, the range of household and personal care products decreased by 22.9 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The range of washing powders, personal hygiene products (31.8 per cent) and dishwashing detergents (31.2) decreased the most by 32.7.

The range of shampoos decreased by more than a quarter (25.5 per cent), toothpaste by 23.8, and toilet paper by 13.9%.

Russian consumers are seeing increasingly limited product choices as Western sanctions and the fallout from the war in Ukraine have led to more than 900 foreign businesses exiting the country. 

About 20% of Ukrainian territory controlled by Russian forces, Zelenskyy says

Russian forces currently control "about 20%" of Ukrainian territory or nearly 125,000 square kilometres, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday in an address to Luxembourg's Parliament.

Prior to the invasion, Russian forces controlled "more than 43,000 square kilometres," he added.

(AFP)

Kuleba 'grateful' to the US for additional funding and weapons for Ukraine

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said he was "grateful" to the United States for providing $700 million in funding for additional US arms, equipment and supplies for Ukraine.

In an editorial published in the New York Times on Tuesday, Joe Biden confirmed the US will “provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine”.

Officials said Ukraine would be sent the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), as part of a new $700 million (€653 million) round of support for Ukraine which also includes helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, tactical vehicles and more.

Read more here.

Time working against Russia, German official says

Germany’s vice-chancellor says Russia’s continued income from high fuel prices “hurts” but the Russian economy is collapsing and “time is working against Russia.”

Robert Habeck, who is also Germany’s economy minister and responsible for energy, told parliament Thursday that “the income that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has obtained in recent months because of high prices hurts, and we can only be ashamed that we haven’t yet managed to reduce this dependence more significantly.”

But he argued that looking at Russia’s gas and oil income doesn’t tell the whole story. Habeck said that “Putin is still getting money, but he can hardly spend it anymore” because of Western sanctions. He pointed to big drops in exports to Russia, including from Germany.

Habeck said that “time is not working for Russia. It is working against Russia, it is working against the Russian economy.” He added that “no one wants to invest in Russia anymore.”

(AP)

Russia claims it has halted the influx of foreign 'mercenaries' into Ukraine 

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Thursday it has stopped the flow of foreign fighters joining the Ukrainian army. 

"Since the beginning of May, the influx of foreign mercenaries into Ukraine wanting to take part in hostilities against the Russian army has practically dried up," said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

The number of foreign fighters inside Ukraine has been "almost halved", going from 6,600 to 3,500, and "a large number" of them "prefer to leave Ukraine as soon as possible," said Konashenkov, without providing evidence for his claim. 

He alleged their number had halved as a result of Russian high-precision strikes, their "low level of training" and "lack of experience." 

These allegations could not be independently verified. 

Russia presents these foreign fighters as "mercenaries", a derogatory term that suggests that they are motivated by the lure of profit.

Ukraine and its Western allies have pointed out that there are mercenaries on the Russian side, with in particular the presence of elements of the Wagner group, whose soldiers of fortune have been deployed from Syria to Libya, via Mali.

Since the beginning of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, thousands of foreign volunteers, mainly Europeans, have travelled to this country to help repel the Russian attack.

(AP/AFP)

Denmark sets date for joining EU defence policy

Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said Thursday that Denmark will join the European Union’s common defence policy on 1 July.

This comes after Wednesday's referendum, in which two-thirds of voters decided to abandon a 30-year-old waiver that kept the Scandinavian country out of the EU's common security and defence policy.

66.9 per cent voted in favour of signing up, with 33.1 per cent against, after all of the votes were counted. 

Denmark's move, which was praised by foreign ministries across Europe, is the latest example of a European country seeking closer defence links with its allies after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The referendum follows historic bids by fellow Nordic countries Sweden and Finland to join NATO.

(AP)

UK to send sophisticated rocket systems to Ukraine with US 

The UK has announced it will send advanced medium-range rocket systems to Ukraine, in a move coordinated with the United States (US). 

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace says the UK will send an unspecified number of M270 launchers, which can fire precision-guided rockets up to 80 km (50 miles). 

The UK has coordinated the delivery closely with the US, which has also agreed to send Ukraine High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. 

Ukraine has promised the US the weapons will not be used to hit targets in Russia.

However, Russia has accused the US of "pouring fuel on the fire" of the conflict, while the country's FM Sergey Lavrov said the delivery of advanced weapons risked dragging "third countries" into the fray.  

The two missile systems are similar, although the US one has wheels while the British one -- also US-made -- runs on tracks.

Ukrainian troops will be trained in the UK to use the equipment, according to the UK. 

Ukraine has long asked its Western allies to send longer-range missiles to help it counter Russian artillery in the eastern Donbas region, the focus of Moscow’s offensive.

(AP)

French ambassador pays tribute to 'heroic courage' of Ukrainian fighters 

Etienne de Poncins, the French ambassador to Ukraine, has paid homage to the 'heroic courage' of Ukrainian fighters, after a visit to Hostomel in the Kyiv region.

Hostomel, a city in northern Ukraine, experienced heavy fighting in the early days of the war, with Russia initially pushing its military might south from Belarus. 

Poncins tweeted on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces in the city "stopped the aggressor capturing Kyiv" and made a "tribute to the heroic courage of the defenders who are fighting for freedom and their homeland.”

Mariupol accuses pro-Russian forces of war crimes - again 

Ukraine's Mariupol authority has accused Moscow-backed forces occupying the southern Ukrainian city of perpetrating war crimes in a Telegram post. 

The authority has made such allegations multiple times since they took full control of the strategic port city, following the surrender of Ukrainian troops at the Azovstal steel plant. 

Their claims have not been independently verified by Euronews.  

"In the Mariupol district, the occupiers imprison and shoot Ukrainian volunteers and officials," read the post. "All of them refused to cooperate with collaborators and the occupation authorities."

The Mariupol authority went on to allege: "The fake Donetsk People’s Republic court sentenced the head of one of the Azov villages to ten years in prison. At least one civil servant was executed by firing squad.

"Dozens of volunteers are also being held in the Olenivka prison. In March-April, they helped evacuate Mariupol residents and tried to deliver food and water to the blocked city.

"A Ukrainian judge, who has heard several high-profile separatist cases, is also awaiting the verdict of the fake republic," it added. "There are reports of torture."

Again this cannot be independently verified. 

Slovakia to deliver artillery to Ukraine 

Slovakia will deliver eight self-propelled Zuzana 2 howitzers to Ukraine, the Slovak Defence Ministry has announced. 

The 52-calibre artillery battery will be provided to Ukraine under a commercial contract signed with a state-controlled producer.

The Zuzana 2, a modernised version of an older model, uses 155mm rounds and has an effective range of 40 km (25 miles), which can stretch to more than 50 km (30 miles) depending on ammunition type.

Currently it is among the most advanced artillery systems in the world.

(Reuters)

UK MoD: Russia has taken control of most of Sievierodonetsk

Russia has captured most of the key eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, according to the UK ministry of defence. 

In its latest intelligence report, published Thursday morning, it said: "The main road into the Sievierodonetskk pocket likely remains under Ukrainian control but Russia continues to make steady local gains, enabled by a heavy concentration of artillery.”

This has "not been without cost" for Russian forces, which have sustained losses in the process, it added.

243 children killed so far in war, says Zelenskyy

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed 243 children have been killed in the war so far, during his nightly video address to the nation on Wednesday. 

He made the remark on International Children's Day, claiming 243 children have been killed, 446 have been wounded and 139 are missing.

Zelenskyy also alleged that 200,000 children have been forcefully taken to Russia, including children from orphanages, children taken with their parents and those separated from their families.

Euronews cannot independently verify this. 

Referring to the claim that 200,000 children have been forcefully taken to Russia, he said "the purpose of this criminal policy is not just to steal people but to make those who are deported forget about Ukraine and unable to return.

“Ukraine cannot be conquered, that our people will not surrender and our children will not become the property of the occupiers," he added.

Ukraine war has devastating consequences for water, peace and security

The war is increasing the risk of global hunger by limiting exports of wheat, cooking oil and fertiliser.

Read more below. 

Ukraine war has devastating consequences for water, peace and security

Football legend Pelé urges Putin to stop Ukraine war

Pelé has called on the Russian leader to halt his deadly invasion of Ukraine, after Ukraine's national team beat Scotland 3-1 in a World Cup playoff. 

“Today Ukraine tries to forget, at least for 90 minutes, the tragedy that engulfs their country," said the 81-year-old Brazilian in an Instagram post. "To compete for a World Cup place is already a difficult task — almost an impossible one with so many lives at stake."

Addressing Putin directly, he added: “Stop the invasion. There's absolutely no justification for this continued violence.”

“When we met in the past and exchanged smiles accompanied by a long handshake, I never thought one day we would be as divided as we are now,” the three-time World Cup winner posted. “The power to stop this conflict is on your hands. The same ones I shook in Moscow at our last meeting in 2017.”

After defeating Scotland, Ukraine will face Wales for a spot in Qatar. 

(AP)

Russian missile strikes key supply railways in Lviv, says official 

A Russian missile has hit rail lines in the western Lviv region, which are key for supplying Western weapons and other goods, officials said. 

Five people were wounded in the strike, according to Lviv regional governor Maksym Kozytskyy, adding that more information would be available Thursday. 

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the country’s interior minister, said the Russians hit the Beskidy railway tunnel in the Carpathian Mountains in an apparent effort to cut a key supply link and disrupt shipments of weapons and fuel.

However, the head of Ukrainian railways said the damage to the railroad was still being assessed but the tunnel was spared.

The strike reportedly delayed three passenger trains, but all later resumed their journeys.

(AP)

Sievierodonetsk close to falling

Ukrainian forces appeared close to losing the strategic city of Sievierodonetsk to the advancing Russian army Wednesday. 

Russian forces "now control 70% of Sievierodonetsk", Sergei Gaïdaï, governor of the Lugansk region, wrote on Telegram.

"If in two or three days the Russians take control of Severodonetsk, they will install artillery and mortars there and will bombard more intensely Lyssytchansk", a neighbouring city located on the other side of the Donets river in the Donbas region, added Gaïdaï. 

"Russia is making moderate but steady gains," said a Western security official on the condition of anonymity. 

However, they pointed out that the Ukrainians are "again on the offensive" in the Kherson region (southern Ukraine) in Russian hands and "gaining ground".

(AFP)

This is Joshua Askew kicking off the Euronews live blog.