The EU has announced that it will finance arms deliveries to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia, including a prohibition on Russian state media.

• The EU is preparing to take fresh steps in reaction to Russia's attack on Ukraine.
• Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, announced that the EU will finance the delivery of weapons to Ukraine for the first time.
• The EU will prohibit Russian aircraft from flying in its territory and ban Russian state-owned media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik from its airwaves, as announced by von der Leyen.
• The EU will impose new sanctions on Belarus' ruling regime, which von der Leyen referred to as "the other aggressor in this war."

The European Union has announced new actions in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including providing funding for the delivery of weapons to the besieged nation for the first time.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, announced that the EU will intensify its sanctions against the Kremlin by prohibiting Russian aircraft from flying in EU airspace.

The 27-member bloc will prohibit Russian state-owned media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik from broadcasting on its airwaves, as well as develop tools to prevent their harmful disinformation from spreading in Europe, according to von der Leyen.

The EU will impose new sanctions on Belarus' ruling regime, which von der Leyen referred to as "the other aggressor in this war."

Officials say that the Ukrainian military is maintaining control over its major cities despite Russia's military aggression, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has increased the readiness of his nuclear deterrence forces in response to intensifying foreign sanctions.