KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday during a trip to Warsaw that Poland would help form a coalition of Western powers to supply warplanes to Kyiv, adding that Ukrainian troops were still fighting for Bakhmut in the east but could withdraw if they risked being cut off.

Neighbouring Poland is a close ally of Ukraine and helped galvanise support in the West to supply main battle tanks to Kyiv. During Mr Zelensky’s visit, Poland announced it would send 10 more MiG fighter jets on top of four provided earlier.

“Just as your (Polish) leadership proved itself in the tank coalition, I believe that it will manifest itself in the planes coalition,” Mr Zelensky said, in a speech at a square in Warsaw.

Earlier in the day, Mr Zelensky said Ukrainian troops faced a really difficult situation in Bakhmut and the military would take “corresponding” decisions to protect them if they risk being encircled by Russian invasion forces.

Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut sometimes advanced a little only to be knocked back, but remained inside the city, Mr Zelensky said.

“We are in Bakhmut and the enemy does not control it.”

Bombardment

The battle for Bakhmut, in Ukraine’s mainly Russian-occupied Donetsk province, has proven one of the bloodiest and longest of Russia’s invasion, now in its 14th month.

Kyiv’s forces have held out against a Russian onslaught with heavy losses on both sides, and the city, a mining and transport hub, has been reduced to ruin after months of street fighting and bombardment.

“For me, the most important is not to lose our soldiers,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that there was a danger of losing soldiers because of encirclement, and that “of course the corresponding correct decisions will be taken by generals there”.

He appeared to be referring to the idea of withdrawing.

However, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said later that the situation at the front was “completely under control” despite repeated Russian attempts to take Bakhmut and other cities in the east.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports.

Ukrainian military commanders have stressed the importance of holding Bakhmut and other cities and inflicting losses on Russian troops before an anticipated counter-offensive against them in the coming weeks or months.

Mercenaries from the Wagner group – who have spearheaded the assault on Bakhmut – said at the weekend they had captured the city centre, a claim dismissed by Kyiv.

The United States-based Institute for the Study of War said the Wagner fighters had made advances in Bakhmut and were likely to continue trying to consolidate control of the city centre and push westwards through dense urban neighbourhoods.

Playing the China card

French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, was visiting China after he and US President Joe Biden agreed they would try to engage Beijing to hasten the end of the Russian assault on Ukraine.

China has called for a comprehensive ceasefire and described its position on the conflict as “impartial”, even though the Chinese and Russian presidents announced a “no limits” partnership shortly before the invasion.

Both Mr Macron and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen – who is due to visit Beijing shortly after Mr Macron – have said they want to persuade China to use its influence over Russia to bring peace in Ukraine, or at least deter Beijing from directly supporting Moscow in the conflict.

The US and Nato have said China was considering sending arms to Russia, which Beijing has denied.

‘Shoulder to shoulder’

Poland has played a big role in persuading Western allies to supply battle tanks and other heavy weapons to Ukraine, which helped Kyiv stem and sometimes reverse Russian advances.

“You have stood shoulder to shoulder with us, and we are grateful for it,” Mr Zelensky said, after Polish President Andrzej Duda presented him with Poland’s highest award, the Order of the White Eagle.

Mr Duda said Warsaw was also working to secure additional security guarantees for Ukraine at a Nato summit to be held in Lithuania in July.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told state TV that Moscow needed to maintain relations with Washington even though American supplies of weapons to Ukraine meant “we are really in a hot phase of the war”.

In addition to MiG-29s, Kyiv has also pressed Nato for F-16 jet fighters, but Mr Duda’s foreign policy adviser, Mr Marcin Przydacz, said Poland would not decide soon on whether to send any. REUTERS