Ukrainian forces will continue their fight to hold on to the eastern city of Bakhmut, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on February 3 amid warnings of continued intense fighting and a coming offensive by Russian forces.
"Nobody will give away Bakhmut. We will fight for as long as we can. We consider Bakhmut our fortress," Zelenskiy said as he hosted European Union leaders to discuss Kyiv's desire to join the bloc and an additional sanctions package.
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Zelenskiy said European sanctions should aim to ensure Russia cannot rebuild its military capability as he delivered his message on Bakhmut, which has been the focal point of Russia's monthslong battle in Donetsk.
"If weapon [supplies] are accelerated, specifically long-range weapons, not only will we not abandon Bakhmut but we will also begin to remove the [Russian] occupiers from the Donbas," he said.
Zelenskiy's comments come after U.S. media reports saying the United States has advised Ukraine to withdraw from Bakhmut. U.S. officials quoted by Bloomberg said this would allow Kyiv to gather forces for a spring offensive.
The official, who spoke to Bloomberg anonymously, said the United States believes a withdrawal from Bakhmut would not affect the war, and Russia would not be able to use it to capture Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.
Zelenskiy said Kyiv’s forces “have a chance” of beating back the looming offensive if supplied with the right Western weapons.
Kyiv has continued to request more powerful modern weapons, including F-16 fighter jets, even after securing pledges from its Western allies to send tanks as its forces brace for an expected new onslaught by the Kremlin’s troops in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow says Russian forces are encircling Bakhmut from several directions and battling to take control of a road that serves as a supply route for Ukrainian forces.
The EU announced on February 3 that it is ramping up its military training mission for Ukraine, raising it from an initial target of 15,000 troops to up to 30,000.
SEE ALSO: EU Urges Ukraine To Continue On Membership Path But Sets No Timeline For Accession TalksThe leaders of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania met on February 3 in Riga, calling afterward for weapons deliveries to Ukraine to be sped up, saying the coming months may be decisive in the course of the war.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said arms supplies from Ukraine's allies should not come too late.
"It is of clear importance that we see the results as quickly as possible including results [on] the battlefield. Aid to Ukraine must not be too late and it should not be fragmented," Kallas said.
"Russia is preparing for a new large scale offensive and our assistance to Ukraine must be sufficient in order to confront it," she said.
The Ukrainian military said earlier on February 3 that Russian troops are not slowing their push in several areas of Donetsk region despite suffering heavy losses.
The Russian attacks over the 24 hours that ended early on February 3 were concentrated mainly on four directions -- Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Novopavlivka -- the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in its morning briefing.
At the same time, the General Staff said, Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine's civilian and infrastructure objectives have resulted in civilian deaths and damage.