Germany has offered substantial support to Ukraine, sending billions of dollars in military aid and heavy weaponry.

Russia says Western arms in Ukraine are "useless" as leaders of Germany, France, and Italy visit Kiev.

The Kremlin says it hopes European leaders will not supply Ukraine with more lethal weapons.

Ukraine has pleaded urgently for more weapons in a bid to resist Russian advances in the south and the east fronts, as European leaders are expected to travel to the capital, Kiev.

Germany’s coalition government and the main opposition party have reached an agreement on a €100 billion ($107 billion) boost to the country's military budget on Sunday, despite record inflation.

ussian President Vladimir Putin has warned the leaders of France and Germany against ramping up arms supplies to Ukraine, saying they could further destabilize the situation in the former Soviet state.

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a broader political club beyond the European Union to include non-member states like Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has reaffirmed his country’s policy on Ukraine, saying Berlin will help Kiev but won't give in to every demand, as the conflict rages on in eastern Ukraine.

Swedish foreign minister Ann Linde says Finland will almost certainly apply for membership in NATO, raising the expectation that both countries will join the military alliance despite Moscow’s warnings.

President Vladimir Putin says Russia will halt gas contracts if foreign buyers do not pay in rubles.