The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenski reiterated the call of EU members to ban visas for Russian citizens. Meanwhile, a Russian diplomat warned the US that any move to declare Russia a "state sponsor of terrorism" could lead to a complete severance of relations.

Kyiv and Moscow, meanwhile, continued to blame each other for the fighting near the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. The UN believes that a demilitarized zone should be declared around the plant. The facility came under Russian control shortly after the invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. Ukrainian engineers continued to work at the nuclear plant under Russian control.

Western countries have called on Moscow to withdraw its forces from the plant.

The focus of the fighting has since shifted from eastern Donbas to the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, although fighting in Donbas continues.

In a video address last night, Zelensky called on the EU to ban visas for Russians, saying the Union should not be a "supermarket" open to anyone with the means to enter. Some EU members, including the Baltic states and the Czech Republic, have already taken steps to restrict tourist and work visas for Russians, and the Czech foreign minister, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, has backed calls for a visa ban for Russian citizens. . The calls had a weak response in the rest of the EU countries.

The head of the North American department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexander Darchiev, said that if the US Senate goes ahead with plans to declare Russia a "state sponsor of terrorism", Washington will pass the point of no return and this could lead to a complete break in relations. between the two countries.