TOP HEADLINES

• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is back in Kyiv on what was his second visit in just over two months, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, hailing Britain's "resolute" support for Ukraine. Johnson said Britain will give Ukraine "strategic endurance." READ MORE BELOW

• The UK will also work with Ukraine to free up grain for export via the Black Sea that Johnson said was being held "hostage" by Russian President Vladimir Putin, he told a joint news conference in Kyiv.

• Putin said Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine was not the cause of global economic troubles, instead he blamed Western countries for using the situation to cover up their own mistakes. 

• Zelenskyy praised a decision from the European Commission to give its backing for Kyiv to be granted EU candidacy status. "It's the first step on the EU membership path that'll certainly bring our victory closer," Zelenskyy wrote on social media. READ MORE BELOW

• Putin has no objections to Ukraine joining the EU. "We have nothing against it. It is not a military bloc. It's the right of any country to join economic unions," Putin said.

• Russia anticipates restoring relations with Ukraine after the "special military operation" in that country concludes Putin told the St Petersburg Economic Forum.

• Russia said that close to 2,000 foreign mercenaries have been killed in Ukraine since the start of Moscow's military intervention in the country. Russia's defense ministry said in a statement that 6,956 "mercenaries and weapons specialists" from 64 countries had arrived in Ukraine since the start of the conflict and that "1,956 have already been destroyed."

• Zelenskyy announced that Kyiv intends to introduce visas for Russians from July 1, according to a government decision that he expected to be made soon.

• France has shipped 31 tonnes of seeds to Ukraine in a bid to avert a food crisis stemming from Russia's offensive, the French foreign ministry said. The aid from France, the EU's biggest agriculture producer, aims to soften "the disastrous impact of the Russian invasion on Ukraine's food security" by allowing the potential harvest of 260,000 tonnes of food, the ministry said.

• U.S. President Joe Biden told a climate conference for major economies that Russia's military campaign in Ukraine shows the shift to renewable energy is a matter of national security as well as vital to preventing climate crisis.

• Alexei Miller, the head of Russian energy giant Gazprom said Moscow will play by its own rules after cutting daily gas supplies to Germany. "Our product, our rules. We don't play by rules we didn't create," Miller said during a panel discussion at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum. READ MORE BELOW

IN DETAIL

Zelenskyy hails Britain's 'resolute' support for Ukraine
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is back in Kyiv on what was his second visit in just over two months, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, hailing Britain's "resolute" support for Ukraine. 

"Many days of this war have proved that Great Britain's support for Ukraine is firm and resolute. Glad to see our country's great friend Boris Johnson in Kyiv again," he wrote on Telegram with a video of him greeting the British leader at the presidential palace.

"Mr President, Volodymyr, it is good to be in Kyiv again," wrote Johnson on his official Twitter account. Zelenskyy said he discussed supplies of heavy weapons and further sanctions against Russia with the visiting leader.

Johnson said Britain will give Ukraine the "strategic endurance" to prevail against Russia's offensive. In a joint news conference with President Zelenskyy, Johnson said that Britain will work with Ukraine to free up grain for export via the Black Sea that he said was being held "hostage" by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Johnson became the first leader of a G7 country to visit Kyiv on April 9, two weeks after Russian troops had been driven back from the suburbs of the capital. 

Ukraine's 'determination to live up to European values and standards'

The European Commission recommended the European Union designate Ukraine as a candidate for membership, a milestone in its path from a former Soviet republic towards a developed economy in the world's largest trading bloc.

Russia is almost certain to oppose the political gesture by Brussels as unwelcome meddling in what it sees as its area of influence, even if Ukraine already has a free-trade agreement with the bloc.

"The Commission recommends ... Ukraine is given candidate status," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference, dressed in Ukraine's national colors of a yellow jacket and blue shirt.

"Ukraine has clearly demonstrated the country's aspirations and the country's determination to live up to European values and standards," she said.

While some EU countries, including the Netherlands and Denmark, do not support more countries becoming EU membership candidates, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy won the backing of France, Germany, Italy and Romania on Thursday.

In their first visit to Kyiv since Russia invaded on February 24, France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Olaf Scholz, Italy's Mario Draghi and Romania's Klaus Iohannis said Ukraine belonged in the "European family." 

The decision by the Commission, the EU executive, will pave the way for EU government leaders to sign off on it at a summit next Thursday and Friday in Brussels in what will be a welcome morale boost for Ukraine.

For the EU, the path towards membership usually takes years, requiring deep reforms tackling endemic corruption. Von der Leyen singled out corruption during a visit to Kyiv on June 11.

According to watchdog Transparency International, Ukraine is perceived as one of the world's most corrupt countries.

Gazprom: 'We don't play by rules we didn't create'

Russian energy giant Gazprom defended gas cuts to Europe as prices soared and tensions raged between Russia and the West over Ukraine. Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said that Moscow will play by its own rules after cutting daily gas supplies to Germany and Italy.

"Our product, our rules. We don't play by rules we didn't create," Miller said during a panel discussion at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Earlier this week, Gazprom slashed its natural gas deliveries via the Nord Stream pipeline, after saying Germany's Siemens had delayed the repair work of compressor units at the Portovaya compression station. 

"For now, there is no way to solve the problem that arose with the compressor station," Miller said. "Siemens is still silent, trying to find a solution."

France has reported that gas flow has been halted since June 15. Italian energy giant Eni also reported problems, saying it will receive only 65 percent of the gas requested from Gazprom. Gazprom has said exports to countries that did not belong to the former Soviet Union were down 28.9 percent between January 1 and June 15 compared to the same period last year.

"Of course, Gazprom is reducing the volume of gas supplies to Europe," Miller said, pointing out that the prices have increased several-fold.

Moscow has lost several European gas clients after it demanded that all "unfriendly" countries pay for Russian natural gas in rubles in response to a barrage of Western sanctions over Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.

Poland, Bulgaria, Finland and the Netherlands have had their natural gas deliveries suspended over refusing to pay in rubles.