February 9, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made an emotional appeal for his country to become a member of the European Union during a visit to Brussels, emphasizing the shared values between Kyiv and the bloc.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin says that deliveries of Western fighter jets to Kyiv would only make the war more "painful" for Ukraine.

Here are the latest headlines:

There is an "excellent connection" between Ukrainian and French officials, who are working towards a shared goal of defeating Russia, according to a senior Ukrainian official.

Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted that the pair had held discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron's political adviser Emmanuel Bonn and diplomatic adviser Isabelle Dumont.

Zelensky met with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Paris on Wednesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that "a free Europe cannot be imagined without free Ukraine," and thanked EU leaders for the "unwavering support" his country has received so far. 

"The unity of Europe is the fundamental way to security," Zelensky said during a speech at the European Council in Brussels. "A free Europe cannot be imagined without free Ukraine."

Zelensky said Ukraine and the European Union share the same values, but those values and regional security are threatened by Russian aggression. 

"We all are protecting Europe against the [Moscow] regime, which wants to destroy the freedom of Europe, which wants to be the authoritarian leader on our continent," he said. 

Zelensky also said he is grateful Ukraine has received EU candidate status as it aims to join the European Union and be a part of a united Europe. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has claimed that Germany provides the most aid to Ukraine of any European Union country. 

''Among the EU countries, we are the country that provides the most financial humanitarian and humanitarian aid, but also with the most concrete support when it comes to arms deliveries," Scholz told reporters as he arrived at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. 

The EU leader's meeting will be an occasion to "send this signal of unity, of solidarity once again and show that we will continue our support for Ukraine in defending its independence and integrity for as long as necessary," Scholz added.

On Wednesday night, Scholz met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss further military aid for Ukraine.

The meeting between the two leaders came after German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in a news conference that the first battalion of Leopard 2 tanks delivered by Western allies could reach Ukraine by March or April of this year.

Later Thursday, Zelensky will attend the EU summit as a guest.

Earlier today, Zelensky addressed lawmakers at the European Parliament, where he was greeted with a standing ovation as he arrived on his first visit to Brussels since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin accused Washington of having a “hostile attitude” towards Russia saying it perceives Moscow as an “adversary” and provokes further escalation.

“The United States remains hostile towards our country, perceives us as an adversary, states the political will to further expand its involvement in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Peskov referred to US President Joe Biden’s address State of the Union address, in which he spoke of a need to protect the country from Chinese threats while simultaneously confronting Russia and supporting Ukraine.

Peskov accused Washington of refusing to “express readiness to recognize the legitimate concerns of the Russian Federation," and said that the speech "on the contrary, provokes further escalation."

On the battlefront: The Kremlin's comments come on the heels of reports that Russian shelling has increased in parts of the Kharkiv region recaptured by Ukrainian forces last September and other areas of northern Ukraine.

Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, said two civilians were killed in Dvorichna, a village east of the city of Kharkiv. Russian forces occupy positions on the east bank of the nearby Oskil River

CNN's Tim Lister and Denis Lapin in Kyiv contributed to this post.

Possible UK deliveries of fighter jets to Ukraine will not change the outcome of the war, but will only “escalate and prolong it and will make it more painful” for Ukraine, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

During a surprise visit to the UK on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a plea for more heavy weaponry, including fighter jets.

And British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that "nothing is off the table” when it comes to providing military equipment to Ukraine.

The development testifies to the “growing involvement of the UK, Germany, and France in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," said Peskov on Thursday.

“We can only express regret and state that such actions lead to escalation, prolong the conflict, and make this conflict more painful for Ukraine,” he added.

“Fundamentally, these actions of countries will not change the outcome of the conflict and will not change the trajectory that our country is following in terms of achieving its goals within the framework of the special military operation.”

Interestingly, Zelensky took a different approach during a speech to the EU Parliament on Thursday.

The Ukrainian President focused on the values that Ukraine shares with Europe, but didn’t specifically ask for more weapons as he did in London on Wednesday.

Russian forces have intensified their offensive efforts in the Luhansk region over the past week, with a slight increase in operations near Kupyansk and Lyman, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.

In its latest update published Thursday, the General Staff said 25 settlements had come under artillery fire and Russian forces had carried out several air strikes in the area.

Some analysts have suggested Russia may be starting a new offensive in the Luhansk region, while adding that the movement was not yet significant.

The Institute for the Study of War said Russian forces were “gradually beginning an offensive” in the area, noting Russian operations had “increased markedly over the past week.”

However it added that Ukrainian forces had been able to prevent Moscow’s armies from securing significant gains. 

CNN teams on the ground noted that the tempo of attacks had increased slightly in the past few days, but it was “nowhere near the energy that could be described as an offensive.” 

Kupyansk and Lyman were seized early in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on February 28 and May 27 last year respectively.

They were then re-taken by Ukrainian forces during a counter offensive in September 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made a heartfelt appeal for his country to become part of the European Union during an address to EU lawmakers.

"This is our Europe, these are our rules, this is our way of life. And for Ukraine, it's a way home, a way to its home," Zelensky said, referencing Ukraine's aim to join the European Union. 

"I am here in order to defend our people's way home," he added. 

The Ukrainian President underlined that Ukraine shares values with Europe, rather than with Russia, which he said is trying to take Ukraine back in time.

It was an emotional message designed to try to connect with EU parliamentarians.

Ukrainian President Voloydymyr Zelensky has told European lawmakers that Russia wants to return Europe to the xenophobia of the 1930s and 1940s.

"The answer for us to that is no," he said. "We are defending ourselves. We must defend ourselves."