Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow threatens ‘countermeasures’ against Sweden and Finland; G7 pledges £15.9bn in aid to Ukraine – live
G7 vows to keep Ukraine’s devastated economy afloat as long as the war continues; Kremlin warns of retaliation against Sweden and Finland for Nato decision.
14:23
President Vladimir Putin has said that the number of cyber attacks on Russia by foreign “state structures” had increased, and that Moscow would need to bolster its cyber defences by cutting the risk of using foreign software and hardware.
“Purposeful attempts are being made to disable the Internet resources of Russia’s critical information infrastructure”, Reuters reports Putin saying.
14:18
US intelligence officials are reportedly sceptical that Vladimir Putin would be persuaded to end the war in Ukraine even if there was a dramatic change in Russian public opinion.
Officials also doubt the war is likely to lead to the removal of the Russian president from power, at least in the short term, CNN reports multiple sources as saying.
Intelligence officials believe Putin is keenly sensitive to small shifts in public opinion, but his ability to crack down on protests and control the media has allowed him to be insulated against any significant popular rising.
The assessment reflects the extent to which the US believes Putin has cemented his control over Russia. Sources told CNN Putin directly participates in decision-making such as the location of attack lines and day-to-day operational goals.
One senior Nato official said:
He clearly is his own decision maker. He doesn’t seem to rely even on experts within the government or the cabinet very much. So it’s a bit hard to imagine that popular opinion sways him all that much.
The intelligence assessment raises questions about the effectiveness of Western sanctions against Russia, CNN reports.
14:15
Finland and Sweden have announced their intention to submit simultaneous requests to join Nato, in what is seen as a seismic shift in Europe’s security architecture. In this new video explainer, Jon Henley, our Europe correspondent, looks at why the Nordic countries are shifting away from years of neutrality, and what the move means for the war in Ukraine.
13:57
The EU has disbursed €600m (£508m) to Ukraine as part of a financial assistance programme, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said
Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, tweeted that he was grateful to the European Commission and von der Leyen, adding:
We will win and rebuild Ukraine together.
Russian forces have turned the Donbas region, where Vladimir Putin’s soldiers are currently focusing their efforts, into “hell”, Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his latest nightly address.
The Ukrainian president said Russian troops have killed “many” people in the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine, and that Russia was engaged in a “deliberate and criminal attempt to kill as many Ukrainians as possible”.