The United States hopes the West’s upcoming surge of military assistance to Ukraine — along with Russia’s increasing isolation on the world stage — will drain President Vladimir Putin’s will to fight. The danger of Russia swallowing its neighbor and having its revanchist ambitions emboldened is so high that Biden administration officials said they are willing to risk the global economic turmoil that could accompany a protracted war.
In the devastated city of Severodonetsk, a complete cease-fire is needed to facilitate the evacuation of 568 people trapped in a chemical plant, regional authorities said. Moscow has concentrated most of its combat power on the city and neighboring Lysychansk, U.S.-based analysts said, though Russian forces have also suffered high casualties. Ukraine notched some victories in the south, including a successful strike on a Russian tugboat with at least one U.S.-made Harpoon anti-ship missile, a U.S. defense official confirmed Friday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated Friday’s recommendation from the European Commission that Ukraine receive candidate status for its application to join the European Union. Ukraine “has done everything possible” ahead of a crucial summit next week, when all 27 E.U. members will discuss Kyiv’s accession efforts, the president said.
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