INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Europe sent a powerful symbol of solidarity with Ukraine on Friday, when Brussels backed Kyiv's bid for EU candidate status, even as
Russia shelled frontline Ukrainian cities and cut back gas supplies to the West.With the European Commission's backing, Ukraine could now
be added to the list of countries vying for EU membership as early as next week, when member state leaders meet at their Brussels
European Commission gave the executive's formal backing to the bid, and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen made her position clear by donning a
striking jacket in Ukraine's national colours."We all know that Ukrainians are ready to die for the European perspective
We want them to live with us for the European dream," she said.Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately welcomed the decision as
a "first step on the EU membership path that'll certainly bring our victory closer."He thanked von der Leyen for the commission's
"historic decision" and said he expected that EU leaders would give Ukraine a "positive result" at the June 23 to 24 summit.Russia responded
Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Ukraine "is not getting a bright future, for some reason, despite the promises becoming more and
take years to meet all the formal membership requirements, even if Kyiv prevails in the war."Yes, Ukraine should be welcomed as a candidate
said.And in the meantime, the fighting continues, with Russian forces bombarding Ukrainian pockets of resistance in frontline Severodonetsk,
sharply reducing flows of natural gas in its pipelines to Western Europe, driving up energy prices.France's network provider said it had
not received any Russian gas by pipeline from Germany since June 15, and Italy's Eni said it expected Russian firm Gazprom to cut its
supplies by half on Friday.Several European countries, including Italy and Germany, are highly reliant upon Russian gas for their energy
needs and, as the West sides with Ukraine, Moscow is cutting supplies.'Extremely alarming'Berlin and Rome have rejected Russia's argument
that technical issues have caused the drop in supplies, arguing that state-owned Gazprom's move is political.But western Europe is
sweltering in a heatwave and energy prices are already soaring, adding to runaway inflation and industrial action in several economies.The
situation is, of course, starker in Ukraine itself, where Russian troops have occupied a swathe of the south and east of the country during
extremely alarming and continues to deteriorate rapidly," the UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, said.The statement said the situation is
where governor Sergiy Gaiday called for a ceasefire, stating hundreds of civilians were trapped in the besieged Azot chemical plant in the
There are 568 people in the shelter, including 38 children," he said.'God's will'Gaiday said earlier this week that around 10,000
civilians remained in the city, which is controlled mostly by Russian forces.In the frontline Donbas village of Adamivka near the city of
Sloviansk, a community of Orthodox nuns have seen a rocket hole blasted into the wall of their well-tended garden.Under near-constant
bombardment by Russian forces, Sister Anastasi and a group of other black-clad nuns and pilgrims live day-to-day, praying for
deliverance."We are all alive, yes
This is our home," she said quietly, her face framed by a black veil, as shells crashed in the distance."We trust in God's will, in God's
help, in the help of all the saints and the Holy Virgin
the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, the local governor said.Separately, Zelensky announced an end to the visa-free travel that Russian
citizens, many of whom have Ukrainian relatives, have enjoyed since Ukraine became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991.
