Ukraine news – live: Kyiv hits out at Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters for ‘pro-Russia’ UN speech

A Ukrainian official has slammed the appearance of Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters at a UN Security Council meeting after Russia said it invited the musician to address the event remotely.

The Ukrainian Security Council delegate Sergiy Kyslytsya dubbed Waters a “brick in the wall of Russian disinformation and propaganda”.

It comes as Volodymyr Zelensky is due in Brussels today as part of a major lobbying effort to call on European allies to provide Ukraine with fighter jets and more heavy weaponry.

Russia has warned Western nations against answering Mr Zelensky’s call for fighter jets in particular, threatening military and political “consequences” for Europe and the rest of the world.

Yesterday prime minister Rishi Sunak said “nothing is off the table” on being asked if the UK will send fighter jets to the besieged country.

Mr Zelensky also met with Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz in Paris late last night, and today will appear at a summit and address the European parliament during his visit to Brussels.

Key Points

• Ukraine slams Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters for speech at UNSC

• Sunak says ‘nothing off the table’ on sending fighter jets to Ukraine

• What fighter jets has Volodymyr Zelensky asked for and what might he get?

Ukraine slams Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters for speech at UNSC

05:00 , Arpan Rai

A Ukrainian official has criticised the appearance of Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters at a UN Security Council meeting after Russia said it invited the musician to address the event remotely.

The 79-year-old said during his speech that he “condemned” the invasion of the country but also the “provocateurs” whose actions, he claimed, led to the Russian invasion.

Responding to this, the Ukrainian security council delegate Sergiy Kyslytsya criticised Waters as just a “brick in the wall of Russian disinformation and propaganda”.

Ukraine criticises speech by Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters at UN Security Council

Intense Russian attacks pound Donetsk and Luhansk

05:57 , Arpan Rai

The Ukrainian military confirmed that Russian attacks remained intense yesterday in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Kyiv said that Moscow’s forces concentrated on the areas of Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut and Aviivka.

Air strikes and shelling also targeted the Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions in northern, northeastern and central Ukraine.

Moment Zelensky hugs BBC Ukraine reporter during press conference

05:23 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky hugged a reporter from BBC Ukraine as he took questions alongside Rishi Sunak yesterday.

“Greetings Mr President, I would really like to hug you, but I’m not allowed,” the correspondent said to Mr Zelensky.

“Why not, please, do give me a hug,” the Ukrainian leader responded, stepping off stage to embrace her, as others applauded.

The journalist then asked Mr Sunak if he thought the UK’s decision to send military jets to the war-torn nation was taking “too long”.

Watch the video here:

Moment Zelensky hugs BBC Ukraine reporter during press conference

Sunak says ‘nothing off the table’ on sending fighter jets to Ukraine

04:48 , Arpan Rai

Rishi Sunak has said that “nothing is off the table” when it comes to the question of providing fighter jets to Ukraine.

The prime minister was speaking during a joint press conference with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday and said sending warplanes was “part of the conversation” between the pair.

Mr Sunak told reporters during a press briefing at a Dorset military base: “When it comes to fighter combat aircraft, of course they are part of the conversation — indeed, we have been discussing that today and have been previously.

Read more here:

PM says ‘nothing off the table’ when it comes to sending fighter jets to Ukraine

What fighter jets has Volodymyr Zelensky asked for and what might he get?

04:32 , Arpan Rai

Downing Street has said that defence secretary Ben Wallace is considering what fast jets can be sent to Ukraine but it remains to be seen whether Kyiv will get the “powerful English planes” it wants.

These could be Typhoons – built by a British, German, Italian, Spanish and Austrian consortium; or F-35s – a joint project of the US, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Norway, Denmark and Canada – rather than alternative aircraft.

The warplanes the Ukrainians are most likely to get are American F-16s. This would make sense in terms of operational support and maintenance, and they are the type of plane the Ukrainians need, just as German Leopard 2s are the logical tanks for their army.

Read the full analysis by The Independent’s world affairs editor Kim Sengupta here:

What fighter jets has Volodymyr Zelensky asked for and what might he get?

Russia warns of ‘consequences for Europe and world’ if UK sends fighter jets

04:10 , Arpan Rai

Russia has issued a direct warning, stating that any move by the UK to send fighter jets to Ukraine would have consequences for both the continent and the rest of the world.

“Russia will find a way to respond to any unfriendly steps taken by the British side,” Russian news agency TASS quoted the Russian embassy in London as saying, adding that it warned such a move would have “military and political consequences for the European continent and the entire world”.

The warning came shortly after prime minister Rishi Sunak said that sending warplanes to Ukraine was “part of the conversation” between him and his Ukrainian counterpart in London, and that “nothing was off the table”.

Russia warns sending UK fighter jets to Ukraine will have ‘consequences’

03:37 , Arpan Rai

Good morning, welcome to our coverage of the Ukraine war on Thursday, 9 February.