Rescuers were removing mountains of rubble on Thursday from the site of a lethal Russian missile strike on Ukraine's historic city of Chernigiv, where at least 18 people were killed in an attack that has prompted fresh pleas for allies to boost Kyiv's overstretched air defense systems.

From supply chain disruptions following the coronavirus pandemic to an energy crisis after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe's economy has faced multiple challenges in recent years.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the West to deliver air defence systems after the attacks, which wounded 17 in Kyiv and the surrounding region.

Over two years into Moscow's all-out war against its neighbour, Kyiv's troops are struggling to hold back the Russian army as Western support fails to keep pace with the fighting.

With Ukraine suffering military setbacks since the failure of a counteroffensive last summer, Macron had last month shocked some allies by not ruling out sending Western troops to Ukraine.

Biden said the stopgap shipment of missiles, shells and ammunition for Kyiv was "not nearly enough" and would run out in a couple of weeks.

While there was "no consensus" on the sending of Western ground troops to Ukraine, "nothing should be excluded. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war," he said.

The meeting in Paris will be a chance for participants to "reaffirm their unity as well as their determination to defeat the war of aggression waged by Russia in Ukraine", the French presidency said.

The meeting will also touch on the $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine and Israel, passed by the Senate but facing resistance in the House.

For the Ukrainian troops holding Russian forces from cities like Kostyantynivka, the task is becoming harder as their resources and stamina ebb.

Emerging from the darkness at a humanitarian crossing on the Belarus border, the children hugged family members who had been waiting for more than six hours.

Ecuador was planning to send six Russian military helicopters, long-range rocket launchers and air defense systems to the United States.

A heightened Russian offensive in eastern and southern Ukraine saw them capture the key town of Avdiivka last week in a major boost ahead of the second anniversary of the February 2022 invasion.

The overall figures vary, but events on the ground show that many Cubans have enlisted lured by the army's salaries

As President Volodymyr Zelensky headed for Berlin and Paris in a new bid to secure desperately needed military aid, Ukrainian generals said there was bitter fighting inside Avdiivka and that their forces were taking up "new positions".

Republicans continue showing internal divisions, as a faction in the Senate voted against the bill and House counterparts have expressed skepticism

Putin may have signalled in last week's interview with right-wing US talk show host Tucker Carlson that Russia was interested in negotiations but this would be so much on Moscow's own terms that Kyiv would not countenance such talks.

President Daniel Noboa announced last month that Quito had agreed to exchange Russian military equipment that had become "scrap metal" for new US weapons worth around $200 million.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, migration, the climate crisis and the "despicable" practice of surrogate motherhood made it to the list

Russia has also had to find new markets for its natural gas exports as Moscow cut its exports to EU nations, which have also looked for new suppliers.

The Russian leader will "sum up the results of the year", his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

The crunch summit in Brussels -- which diplomats fear could drag on longer than the two days planned -- comes as fears mount over Western backing for Ukraine nearly two years into Russia's war.

The Russian military has also lost some 2,200 of the 3,500 tanks it had before the start of the conflict, the source said, citing a declassified US intelligence assessment shared with Congress.

In a flurry of diplomatic activity after the White House announced Zelensky's visit, an aide for Mike Johnson said the new Republican speaker for the House of Representatives will also meet with the Ukrainian leader Tuesday.

The first was harsh, but the servicemen said they have learned to manage, particularly by installing heating.

Zelensky made a plea for air defence, long-range missiles and ammunition in the face of fears that the Hamas attack on Israel could distract key backer the United States from the conflict in his country.

Russia launched the strikes as Ukraine prepares for a third winter during Moscow's 19-month long invasion and as President Volodymyr Zelensky made his second wartime trip to Washington.

Ukraine's first lady urged world leaders on Tuesday to help return Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia, where she said they are being indoctrinated and deprived of their national identity.

Ukraine on Tuesday said the International Court of Justice should impose reparations on Russia for its "war of annihilation", arguing that international law itself was at stake.

Pope Francis met on Monday with the new Russian ambassador to the Vatican, who said they discussed the pontiff's efforts to bring peace to Ukraine.