Ukrainian president seeks immediate EU membership

Agencies | Kyiv

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged the European Union (EU) to grant his country immediate membership.

"We ask the European Union for Ukraine's immediate accession under a new special procedure," Zelensky said in a video address.

“I am sure it is fair. I am sure we deserve this,” Zelenskiy told reporters Monday at a briefing at the presidential palace. “I am sure that all this is possible.”

Meanwhile, Zelensky asked the Russian soldiers to drop their weapons and leave. 

"Don't trust your commanders, don't trust your propagandists, just save your lives - leave," he was quoted as saying by The Kyiv Independent.

According to the online news website, Ukraine's Defense Ministry has announced that Russia has lost 5,300 troops, 29 planes, 29 helicopters, 191 tanks, 74 artillery pieces, 816 armoured personnel carriers, 1 BUK system, 21 Grad systems, 291 cars, 60 fuel tanks, 3 drones and 5 anti-aircraft warfare.

Meanwhile, The Moscow Times reported  Russia's Defense Ministry as saying on Monday that it has established “total air superiority” over Ukraine on the fifth day of President Vladimir Putin's deadly invasion of the neighbouring country.  

"Since the beginning of the operation, Russian forces have hit 1,114 Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities, including 31 command posts and communications centres, destroyed 314 tanks and other armoured vehicles, 57 multiple launch rocket systems, 121 field artillery pieces, and mortars,” Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.