Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky accuses Nato leaders of 'weakness' over rejection of no-fly zone

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Nato leaders of “weakness” after they rejected calls to establish a no-fly zone over the country.

It comes as the UK’s defence secretary warned of the risk that a “new Iron Curtain” could descend on Europe.

Zelensky said that the failure to implement a no-fly zone had given a “green light” to the bombing of Ukrainian cities and villages.

Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun, meanwhile, said that the country feels “abandoned by the West”.

The UK has indicated that Russia is “highly likely” to have encircled four key cities in the country – Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Mariupol.

On Saturday, it was reported that a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine to allow civilians to leave the city of Mariupol is not being fully observed, according to the city council.

In an address on Friday evening, Zelensky criticised the decision making of Nato leaders.

“All the people who die from this day forward will also die because of you, because of your weakness, because of your lack of unity,” he said.

“The alliance has given the green light to the bombing of Ukrainian cities and villages by refusing to create a no-fly zone.”

The UK’s defence secretary Ben Wallace said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “playing with fire” by attacking the Zaporizhzhia nuclear site in Ukraine.

Officials said the site was now likely to be under Russian control but with Ukrainian staff still on the ground to maintain safety.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson also warned of the “risk” of nuclear disaster in Europe following the shelling of the plant.

And he said it must be made clear to the Kremlin that “a civilian nuclear disaster in Ukraine, another Chernobyl, is a disaster for Russia as well as for everybody”.