An apparent Russian airstrike has hit the main television tower in the heart of the Ukrainian capital, knocking out some state broadcasting. Ukraine's Interior Ministry said equipment had been damaged and "channels won't work for a while" after a blast sounded in the Babi Yar district.
Some smoke was also seen rising, although the structure of the tower was thought to be intact. Ukraine's emergency services later said on television that five people had been killed in the blast.
Scholz 'condemns' Russian attacks in call with Zelenskyy
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz "strongly condemned" Russia's aggressive actions in Ukraine in a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday.
Scholz informed Zelenskyy "about the status of Germany's support and the numerous demonstrations of solidarity in Germany," according to a chancellery statement.
The statement from the German government on the call came after Zelenskyy tweeted that he'd spoken with Scholz.
Zelenskyy said the two discussed the "shelling of residential neighborhoods" as well as Ukraine's appeal for a no-fly-zone over the country.
Western leaders, including NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, have already spoken out against a no-fly-zone, saying such a step would risk widening the war by putting NATO aircraft in direct conflict with Russian forces.
The Ukrainian leader also appealed for the EU to accelerate talks on the possibility of Ukraine joining the European Union.
The German government statement did not mention Ukraine's request to close airspace over Ukraine, nor Kyiv's push to urgently join the EU.
MEP David McAllister: 'We are at a watershed moment'
DW spoke to David McAllister, a Member of the European Parliament, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed a special session of the European Parliament.
In an emotional speech delivered from Kyiv, Zelenskyy described recent attacks on Ukrainian cities and accused Russia of targeting children. Zelensky also repeated his appeal for his country's immediate membership into the EU, arguing the bloc would be stronger with Ukraine in it.
McAllister told DW, "MEPs made clear that we stand in full solidarity with Ukraine in these very dark hours of our European history," noting, "Today our message was Ukraine is a European nation."
However, he saw little hope for the immediate accession Kyiv is seeking, describing joining the EU as a "medium and long term" process.
"Article 49 of the Treaty of the European Union is very clear. Any country in Europe, which adheres to our values can apply to join our European Union. Of course, this is a medium and long term process because in the end, a country has to go through the accession negotiations and in the end has to fulfil all the very ambitious judicial, financial, economic and political criteria."
He added, "Ukraine wants to join the European Union, and we are standing in solidarity with Ukraine because Ukrainians are not only fighting for democracy, the rule of law and their own liberty, but also fighting for European values which are under attack now in Kyiv."
"We are at a watershed moment," McAllister said, adding that this was why "the European Union has taken this decision to support Ukraine in its heroic fight against Russian aggression."
One step he noted was "Just two weeks ago, we adopted a new micro financial assistance package of €1.2 billion. In total, we have now supported Ukraine with €17 billion."
McAllister is a longstanding senior MEP for Germany's conservative CDU/CSU, and was state premier of Lower Saxony before heading to Brussels. He was born in West Berlin to a Scottish father and German mother.
Estonia chief urges tougher Baltic defenses
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told a news conference on Tuesday that NATO must improve its defenses of the Baltic states.
Kallas said that, as the most vulnerable part of the military alliance, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania needed to see imminent action.
"This includes, on land, establishing a permanent, increased forward presence. In the air, establishing a credible defense posture."
"And a sense of urgency in developing NATO's upgraded defense plan," Kallas said, after meeting UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
G7 considers further measures against Russia
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner says he and G7 colleagues have mulled further measures to sanction Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
Sanctions have "already had a massive impact on capital markets and the currency," said Lindner, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the G7.
G7 finance ministers at the meeting in Berlin "exchanged suggestions for further measures that could be taken," Lindner told a press conference.
"We are focusing on maximizing the damage to the Russian economy, Vladimir Putin's supporters and the Russian capital markets," Lindner said.
"The ruble is in free fall, Vladimir Putin's war chest has been hit hard," Lindner said. "In all measures, we want to have an impact on Russia's ability to fight this war."
Chechnya leader admits losses on Russian side
Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman leader of Russia's Chechnya Republic, says 2 Chechens have been killed and 6 injured in the invasion of Ukraine.
Kadyrov, a former rebel who became an ally of the Kremlin, sent fighters to Ukraine after giving his backing for President Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine.
"Unfortunately, there are already losses among the natives of the Chechen Republic," said Kadyrov, who governs Chechnya as his own fiefdom.
More generally, the Russian Defense Ministry admitted on Monday that it had suffered losses but didn't give any numbers.
EU readies for millions of refugees
The EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said on Tuesday says the bloc must prepare for "millions" more refugees fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Johansson said she hoped the European Council would activate the temporary protection directive on Thursday.
The directive was drawn up after the 1990s war in the Balkans, but never used so far.
It is designed to deal with mass arrivals of displaced persons in the EU, and provides for the same level of protection, for 1 to 3 years, in all EU states.
The includes a residence permit and access to employment and social welfare.
Johansson also said the EU's external border and coastguard agency Frontex would be deployed to secure parts of the border that are overwhelmed from Ukranian refugees fleeing Russia's invasion.
At present, some 400,000 have passed into the bloc.
Zelenskyy calls Scholz, seeking EU entry and no-fly zone
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the phone on Tuesday.
Zelenskyy said the two discussed the "shelling of residential neighborhoods" as well as Ukraine's appeal for a no-fly-zone over the country.
Western leaders, including NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, have already spoken out against a no-fly-zone, saying such a step would risk widening the war by putting NATO aircraft in direct conflict with Russian forces.
The Ukrainian leader also appealed for the EU to accelerate talks on the possibility of Ukraine joining the European Union.
Italy to move embassy from Kyiv to Lviv
Italy’s Foreign Ministry has announced that it will be moving its embassy in Kyiv to the western city of Lviv as the situation in the capital becomes increasingly uncertain.
"Owing to the deterioration of the security situation in Kyiv, and the consequent impossibility of guaranteeing full functionality, the Italian embassy in Kyiv is being transferred to Lviv," a foreign ministry statement said.
Rome's decision follows several other countries, such as Israel, Australia, and Canada, completely moving their diplomatic corps to Lviv.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that all embassy staff, as well as other Italian nationals living in Kyiv, had moved to the ambassador’s residence temporarily. Most of them were expected to leave the city today.
In a speech to the Senate in Rome, Draghi said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had underestimated Europe.
"Perhaps Putin had thought us impotent, divided or intoxicated by our wealth. He was wrong. We were and are ready to respond and fight back," he said.
The prime minister praised Europe's "prompt, consistent, quick" and "united" response to the invasion of Ukraine, saying that the bloc was not trying to expand its influence but rather "defend our values."
Adidas cuts ties with Russian Football Federation
German sports apparel giant Adidas said it has suspended its partnership with the Russian Football Federation.
"Adidas is suspending its partnership with the Russian Football Federation (RFS) with immediate effect," a company spokesman said.
Meanwhile, several German domestic sports leagues, including the football Bundesliga, confirmed that individual players from Russia and Belarus playing their trade in Germany will not face suspensions as a result of Russia's war in Ukraine.
While Handball's continental governing body excluded Russian and Belarusian clubs from international competitions, Germany's domestic HBL will not impose sanctions on players at German teams. Russian ice hockey players in the DEL will also be permitted to play, a spokesperson said.
Russia says sanctions will not 'change our position'
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Western sanctions will not change the course of the war. "They probably think that they can force us to change our position with sanctions," the Interfax news agency quoted Peskov as saying.
"It is obvious that there is no question of that, no one will change their position," said Peskov, who has also personally been hit with sanctions. "We have no assets in the West, we have no accounts in the West, punish us," Peskov said.
Russia's top security official Dmitry Medvedev shot back at French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire promising to wage an economic and financial war against Russia.
"Watch your tongue, gentlemen! And don't forget that in human history, economic wars quite often turned into real ones," Medvedev, a former Russian president, wrote in French on his Twitter account.
Germany: Russia must end Ukraine 'bloodshed'
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday that Russia must immediately withdraw its troops and end the "bloodshed" in Ukraine.
He also warned that Moscow could face more sanctions if it continued its invasion.
"We will certainly add more to the packages [of sanctions] that we have decided so far," he told reporters in Berlin, adding that "Ukraine is literally fighting for survival."
Russia should "immediately stop all hostilities, withdraw Russian troops to Russia and return to dialogue," Scholz said.
What did Zelenskyy say?
Zelenskyy addressed the European Parliament in an emotional message, explaining that he was doing so amid a break in missile strikes.
The president outlined his belief that Ukraine deserved to be part of the EU, and that it had shown so in its fight for survival.
"I believe that we, today, we're giving lives for the desire to be equal, as much as you are," Zelenskyy said. "We are giving away our best people."
He highlighted the plight of the city of Kharkiv, which was hit by missile attacks on Monday and Tuesday. But he added: "Nobody is going to break us. We are strong. We are Ukrainian."
"Do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness," he said.
"The EU will be much stronger with us. Without you, Ukraine will be lonesome."
There was a standing ovation from EU lawmakers, many wearing #standwithUkraine T-shirts emblazoned with the Ukrainian flag, others with blue-and-yellow scarves or ribbons.
'Dark shadow of Putin's war'
Ahead of Zelenskyy's address, European Parliament chief Roberta Metsola had said she condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine "in the strongest possible states."
"We are here in the dark shadow of Putin's war, a war we did not provoke. A war we did not start. An invasion of a sovereign independent state."
She said the EU would support war crimes investigations against both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
Metsola also underlined the EU's sanctions against Russia and said: "This must be our whatever it takes moment."
What support is there for Ukraine's membership?
The presidents of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia on Monday all signed an open letter calling for Ukraine to recieve EU candidate status.
The bloc says candidate status offers tangible benefits for membership hopefuls, making states more attractive for investment, easing trade flows and providing greater stability.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday also backed the membership plea for Ukraine, as well as Moldova, Hungary and Georgia.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has spoken in favor of Ukraine joining the EU, but the decision must be taken unanimously by all EU member states rather than the executive arm in Brussels.
However, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday cautioned against a hasty accession of Ukraine.
"EU accession is not something that can be achieved in a few months," Baerbock said, while emphasizing that Ukraine is "part of the house of Europe."
