Zelenskiy Tells EU Leaders There Is No Free Europe Without A Free Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has told EU leaders that a free Europe is not possible without a free Ukraine, as he pressed for more weapons to aid Kyiv's defense against invading Russian forces.

"Europe should not have gray zones, our whole continent should be open to European destiny," Zelenskiy told an EU summit in Brussels on February 9 in which he also pressed for fast-tracked Ukrainian membership of the European Union.

Zelenskiy said that Ukraine had "never wanted, never provoked" the full-scale war launched by Russia nearly one year ago, and that the security of Europe as a whole was tied to the war's outcome.

"The unity of Europe is fundamental to security," Zelenskiy said, adding that a "free Europe cannot be imagined without free Ukraine."

Zelenskiy: 'Victorious Ukraine Will Be Part Of A Victorious European Union'

The February 9 visit was the latest stop in Zelenskiy's surprise tour of Europe to lobby for more weapons and EU membership to aid Ukraine's defense, and came as Russian forces reportedly stepped up attacks in Ukraine’s east ahead of an expected offensive.

The trip to Brussels gave Zelenskiy the opportunity to speak to all 27 leaders of the European Union following visits to Britain and France a day earlier. Josep Borrell, who chairs EU summits, said without providing details that the EU leaders would promise more military support for Ukraine.

In recent weeks, Ukraine has received promises from Western countries for the provision of battle tanks to boost its forces, but has called for even more advanced weaponry, including fighter jets and longer-range rockets.

Speaking at a post-summit press conference, Zelenskiy said he had heard from "a number of European leaders...about the readiness to give us the necessary weapons and support, including aircraft."

Zelenskiy did not specify which leaders he was talking about, but said that "France and Germany have the potential to be game changers and that's how I see our talks today."

"The sooner we get heavy long-range weapons and our pilots get modern planes...the quicker this Russian aggression will end," the Ukrainian president said.

Ahead of the summit, while standing in front of the Ukrainian flag, Zelenskiy told the European Parliament that his country was fighting "against the biggest anti-European force of the modern world."

He also thanked EU lawmakers for the help the bloc has already provided since Russia invaded more than 11 months ago.

"Thank you," Zelenskiy said as EU lawmakers gave him a long standing ovation. "We are defending ourselves in the battlefield, we Ukrainians, together with you...."

He also vowed that one day "Ukraine will be part of the European Union, a victorious Ukraine."

In an apparent nod to concerns among some EU states that Ukraine must meet certain criteria such as combating corruption before EU-accession talks can begin, European Council chief Charles Michel said that "the road to peace, reconstruction and membership will be a long, hard road."

However, Michel told Zelenskiy that "we'll be with you every step of the way" and said that the council would provide an update on Ukraine's accession path by the end of the year.

EU Parliament head Roberta Metsola said while addressing Zelenskiy that "you need to win and now (EU) member states must consider quickly as the next step providing long-range systems and the jets that you need to protect your liberty."

During his visit to the British Parliament on January 8, Zelenskiy specifically called on Western leaders to provide fighter jets.

'Wings For Freedom': Zelenskiy Pleads For Fighter Jets In London Speech

Later the same day, Zelenskiy met in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Macron later said the issue of providing combat aircraft had not been discussed.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on February 9 that any delivery of fighter jets by the West would mark a more "direct" role by NATO countries in the war, and that it would only increase tensions and bring more pain and suffering to Ukrainians.

"This is nothing more than the growing involvement of the United Kingdom, Germany, and France in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," Peskov told reporters.

"The line between indirect and direct involvement is gradually disappearing. One can only express regret in this regard, and say that such actions...lead to an escalation of tension, prolong the conflict, and make the conflict more and more painful for Ukraine," Peskov added.

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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said at a briefing the same day that the United States’ efforts to increase the delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine left no room for diplomacy.

"I don't see any prospect for a productive political and diplomatic process," Ryabkov said. “We have a very deep and unprecedented crisis in Russia-U.S. relations. The Biden administration has driven them into a deadlock.”

Referring to the provision of advanced weaponry to Ukraine, Ryabkov added that "the Americans need to thoroughly and deeply weigh the risks linked to their unabashedly cavalier course."

Zelenskiy's tour is believed to be only his second trip abroad since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine nearly one year ago, and comes as Russian forces attempt to make a breakthrough in Ukraine’s east ahead of an expected major offensive.

On February 9, Luhansk region Governor Serhiy Hayday said that Russian forces were trying to break through Ukrainian defenses near Kreminna. Control of the town would put Russian forces within 70 kilometers of the city of Kramatorsk, a much larger city in the Donetsk region.

"I can confirm that there has been a significant increase in attacks and shelling,” Hayday said on Ukrainian television. “And it is in the direction of Kreminna that they are trying to build on their success by pushing through our defenders' defenses."

Hayday added that Russian forces had not had "significant success," saying that "our defense forces are holding firmly there."

On February 9, Ukraine's General Staff said that more than 900 Russian soldiers had died the previous day, which would be one of the bloodiest of the war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24.

In a report later on February 9, the General Staff said that to hide the number of dead, the Russian military set up a mobile crematorium in Tokmak in the southeastern Zaporizhzhya region. Local residents have complained about the stench, especially at night, the report said.

RFE/RL was not able to independently verify the information.

Western media has reported that the number of Russian soldiers killed or wounded in the war is approaching 200,000.

Russia does not regularly disclose data on its war casualties.

With reporting by Reuters