Ukraine, Briefly

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• Russian forces now control the majority of Sievierodonetsk, the battleground for Ukraine’s eastern Donbas area, according to CNN. Street fighting raged on Saturday in the eastern city, where Russian and Ukrainian troops remain engaged in combat.

• Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was trying to strengthen support for his country’s candidacy to join the European Union, as commentators warned the war looked to be entering a protracted phase that would benefit Russia, the New York Times added. His comments came following a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who visited Kyiv and expressed support for Ukraine ahead of a European Union summit later this month to decide whether to formally give Ukraine candidate status.

• Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega will welcome Russian soldiers, planes and ships for deployment to Nicaragua for training and law enforcement purposes, the Associated Press wrote. Ortega will authorize Russian forces to carry out policing, “humanitarian aid, rescue and search missions in emergencies or natural disasters,” according to a decision issued this week and confirmed by Russia on Thursday.