Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) Ukraine has called on the EU on Sunday to impose more sanctions against Russia and send military aid.
Kiev stressed that Russian forces are preparing a major offensive in the east of the country and added that Russia has launched rockets into the eastern regions of Ukraine, Reuters reports Sunday.
The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed on Sunday that it launched missiles and destroyed military targets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that he discussed additional EU sanctions against Russia in a telephone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Zelenskyy pointed out that he called for more financial and military aid as well as proposed new measures to target Russia, stressing that he advocates complete embargo on Russian energy.
While the EU imposed an embargo on Russian coal on Friday, the bloc is not in agreement on proposed bans on Russian oil and natural gas imports.
Ukraine and Western countries have accused Russia of war crimes, which Moscow rejects. The Russian Investigative Committee warned on Sunday that Ukraine is preparing “another provocation” to accuse Russia of mass killings of civilians in Irpin.
The body stressed that Kiev is preparing to move the bodies of civilians killed in shelling by Ukrainian forces to stage alleged atrocities.
US to supply weapons
Also on Sunday, the US announced plans to provide Ukraine with more weapons.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stressed that the US will provide Ukraine with “the weapons it needs to beat back the Russians to stop them from taking more cities and towns where they commit these crimes.”
He noted that the US was delivering its own weapons to Ukraine as well as “organising and coordinating the delivery of weapons from many other countries.”
The White House pointed out last week that the US has provided military aid worth some US$ 1.7 billion to Ukraine since the start of the war.
The shipments included anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, ammunition and equipment, with Zelenskyy stressing that the US and the EU should do more and predicting that Russian forces will intensify their efforts in the east of Ukraine.
Roughly one quarter of Ukrainians have been displaced since the start of Russian aggression in February.