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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky will soon address the European Parliament as the Russian invasion of his country enters its sixth day. Zelensky along with Ukrainian parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk will deliver a speech during an extraordinary session of the European Parliament.
Taking to Twitter, European Parliament’s President Roberta Metsola said following a debate titled ‘Russian aggression against Ukraine’, the European Union (EU) will adopt a resolution.
Full Russia-Ukraine conflict coverage here
“We are witnessing an invasion of a sovereign and independent state. Freedom and values are at stake. We need to stand up and not look away,” she wrote on the micro-blogging site.
Zelensky and Stefanchuk will deliver their speeches via video conference. European Council president Charles Michel, European Commission chief Ursual Von der Leyen, and EU high representative Josep Borrell Fontelles will also attend the meeting, Metsola said.
The European Parliament will meet at 12.30pm GMT (6.30PM IST).
Russia’s military offensive entered the sixth day on Tuesday, with severe bombardment defining it. Residential buildings were targetted by Russian missiles in Kharkiv, one of the most-affected cities in the east European nation.
The United Nations said at least 136 civilians have been killed, including 13 children since Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war – a term he refuses to accept – in Ukraine last week. Additionally, about 400 people have been injured in the European country, with several thousands getting displaced.
UN human rights office (OHCHR) spokesperson Liz Throssel said the real toll is expected to spike, adding a total of 253 casualties have been reported in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions — the breakaway and separatist regions in eastern Ukraine with close ties to Russia.
Ceasefire talks between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine concluded on Monday along the Belarusian border with plans on another meeting soon. Zelensky, meanwhile, has signed the application for Ukraine’s EU membership, a move aimed at bolstering the country’s connection with the West.
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