Have you missed the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening. Here is the gist of this Tuesday, June 9, 2026, on the 1,567th day of the conflict.
Fact of the day
The EU is raising its voice. The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen proposed on Tuesday to ban Russian ex-combatants in Ukraine from entering the European Union. “We are proposing for the first time to ban entry into the European Union to anyone who has served in the Russian armed forces since the start of the war” in Ukraine, she declared to the press from Brussels. And this, “so that Europe remains closed to anyone who participated in the invasion of Ukraine, it’s as simple as that,” she added.
Several EU member states, including the Baltic countries, have been pleading for months for such a visa ban for Russian soldiers, deeming it unacceptable for them to be able to tour in Europe after having fought in Ukraine.
These measures are part of a new “package” of sanctions, the 21st since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Today’s statement
« We support Ukraine in its irreversible march towards full Euro-Atlantic integration, including its membership in NATO. »
The lyrics are signed by the heads of government of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Gathered alongside Volodymyr Zelensky, the leaders of these eight Nordic and Baltic countries hoped this Tuesday for Ukraine to join the European Union “as soon as possible”, in a joint declaration adopted during a regional summit in Tallinn.
“Ukraine is a strategic security partner for NATO, contributing directly to Euro-Atlantic security, thanks to its battlefield experience, technological innovation and industrial capabilities,” the eight leaders underlined.
The leaders welcomed Ukraine’s expected participation in the next Alliance summit on July 7-8 in Ankara.
The number of the day
8. This is the number of civilians killed in the last 24 hours in Russian strikes in Ukraine, the authorities announced on Tuesday. Around forty others were also injured.
“Incapable of achieving its objectives on the battlefield, Russia is intensifying its acts of terror against civilians,” declared the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Andriï Sybiga, calling for “intensify the pressure” on Moscow.
More than four years after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, bombings continue almost daily on both sides of the front and diplomatic negotiations are at a standstill.
The trend
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a telephone conversation Monday evening with American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in an attempt to relaunch negotiations to find a solution to the war in Ukraine.
“I am grateful for their willingness to work as actively as possible, in the coming weeks, to restore momentum to diplomacy aimed at putting an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Volodymyr Zelensky said on his social networks after this call.
“We understand that the world’s attention is focused on the situation around Iran. But our common goal of peace in Europe remains on the agenda,” he continued, adding that he had this “very positive” conversation while he was making a flight stopover in Moldova.
