Speaking at the White House, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson says her country's Nato application marks a "historic moment" after her country's 200 years of military non-alignment.

She hails the "deep and long-standing friendship" with the US, and shared values of democracy and freedom, but says those values are "now being put to the test".

The situation in Ukraine reminds us "of the darkest days of European history" and in "dark times it is great to be among close friends", she says.

She says Nato will be stronger with Sweden and Finland as members.

"We are security providers, with sophisticated defence capabilities" as well as a "long tradition of extensive military cooperation with Nato," she says.

Sweden looks forward to a swift ratification process, she says, and is talking to all Nato members counties including Turkey - which opposes Finnish and Swedish membership - to sort out any issues at hand.

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking alongside Biden, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö says his country is willing to talk to Turkey about its concerns over Finland joining Nato.

Turkey, a longstanding member of Nato, says it will block Finland and Sweden joining the alliance. Its President Erdogan says they support outlawed Kurdish groups.

Niinistö addresses these objections directly and says Finland will commit to Turkey's security fully, should it join the alliance.

"We take terrorism seriously, we condemn terrorism in all its forms and we are actively engaged in combating it," he says.

Niinistö adds "open and constructive" discussions with Turkey are already under way and will continue in the coming days.

He says his country made its decision to apply for Nato membership following a "rapid, but very thorough process".

He thanks President Biden for his support and says it is time for Nato allies to weigh in, and he hopes for a swift process confirming its membership.

A little more from President Biden, as he holds a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö.

He assures the two countries their Nato applications have the "full, complete backing" of the US.

He says reports have gone to the UK Congress today so the upper house of politicians, the Senate, can move towards approving them.

He stresses the defensive nature of Nato: "New members joining Nato is not a threat to any nation, it never has been," he says.

"Nato will be enhanced for all time" by Sweden and Finland joining, he says.

Image source, EPA

More now on Sweden and Finland's moves to join Nato, in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

US president Joe Biden says the two countries have strong democratic institutions, strong militaries, strong and transparent economies and a strong moral sense of what is right.

"They meet every Nato requirement and then some," he says.

The US president, who has been meeting Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö to discuss their applications to join, calls today "a momentous day, a very good day".

"I'm proud to welcome and offer the strong support of the US, for the applications of two great democracies, and two highly capable partners, to join the strongest most powerful defensive alliance in the history of the world," he says.

Their membership will "enhance the security of our alliance", he suggests.

Image source, EPA

More than one million Ukrainian refugees have returned home after being "frustrated with the growing discomfort, the growing struggle with different systems around the European Union", Ukraine's ambassador to the UK has said.

Vadym Prystaiko told an event in Westminster that Ukrainian refugees are missing their loved ones, they’re missing their homes, they’re missing their jobs".

He added that the mayors of Kyiv and Kharkhiv told people not to return to the cities as it was still unsafe.

“One of the things I’d like to address is how we can still be able to hold them here somewhere in Europe, the European Union, sometimes across the pond in Canada and the United States," Prystaiko said.

Image source, REUTERS/Yves Herman

As we've been reporting, Nato's secretary general Jens Stoltenberg says he's confident a quick decision will be made to welcome Finland and Sweden into the defence alliance.

But, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeated his stance against both countries' membership. Turkey is a long-standing member nation.

In a video posted to Twitter he tells allies Turkey "will say no to Finland and Sweden's Nato membership".

Both countries formally applied yesterday to join the military alliance.

Jens Stoltenberg says Nato members are addressing the concerns Turkey has expressed, Reuters reports.

Image source, .

As we've been hearing, the war crime trial of Vadim Shishimarin has resumed in Kyiv. The 21-year-old Russian tank commander has admitted killing Oleksandr Shelipov, a 62-year-old civilian.

According to prosecutors, Shishimarin was ordered to kill Shelipov and used a Kalashnikov assault rifle to do so.

Kateryna Shelipov, the widow of the man he killed, stood up in court and asked the soldier if he repented his crime? Shishimarin admitted his guilt and apologised to Shelipov.

Watch the video above to see the exchange in court.

Image source, EPA

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says he is confident that Nato members will come to a quick decision to welcome Finland and Sweden into the alliance.

Turkey has threatened to veto their applications, accusing the two Nordic nations of harbouring Kurdish militants that it considers to be terrorists.

Speaking in Denmark, Stoltenberg says the alliance is in close contact with Finland, Sweden and Turkey, and is addressing Turkey's concerns.

He says it is not uncommon to have differences of opinion in Nato and the alliance is experienced in finding solutions.

The Nato chief also says he believes Ukraine can win the war. He says Russia has not been able to take Kyiv, it has been forced to leave Kharkiv and the surrounding areas, and that the offensive in the Donbas has stalled.

"We don't believe Russia has given up on its strategic goals... so we need to prepare for the long haul," he adds.

Sarah Rainsford
Reporting from Kyiv

The trial has now ended for the day. Court resumes at 11:00 tomorrow local time (09:00 BST)

The prosecutor has asked for a life sentence for the accused.

Sarah Rainsford
Reporting from Kyiv

Image source, EPA

The soldier's lawyer - who was appointed by the Ukrainian state - has told me that no Russian official has been in touch with him, including from the defence ministry.

There is no Russian embassy in Kyiv these days, so no contact from there either.

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman told the BBC on Wednesday that the Kremlin has “no information” about this case.

All in all, it feels rather like the young soldier has been abandoned to his fate by the commanders who sent him to war and continue to deny that their forces commit crimes here.

This trial is Ukraine’s chance to prove, beyond doubt, that a Russian soldier killed a civilian with no regard for the rules of war.

It knows it’s in the spotlight, doing this so quickly and in the middle of a war, and it’s keen to be as transparent and thorough as possible – so that this is not seen as a show trial, but part of a vital quest for justice.

Sarah Rainsford
Reporting from Kyiv

Vadim Shishimarin’s lawyer asked the court to call two more witnesses: the other soldiers who were in the car when Shishimarin killed Oleksandr Shelipov through the open back window.

He then learned, for the first time, that those two soldiers had been returned to Russia in a prisoner exchange that was not made public.

These swaps happen periodically, with the names negotiated by both sides.

It’s not clear why Ivan Maltysev, who was also captured, was not included in the swap but instead stayed in Ukraine to give evidence against his fellow soldier.

Sarah Rainsford
Reporting from Kyiv

The prosecution have brought several rifles into court as part of their evidence, in a white sack, and have been handing them to the panel of three judges to examine.

Remember, Vadim Shishimarin - the soldier on trial here - and Ivan Maltysev both surrendered with their weapons.

The prosecutor asks Shishimarin if he recognises his gun and he replies, "yes". The number on it also matches the one he gave previously.

The mobile phone of the man killed, Oleksandr Shelipov, was also examined – so far only to prove that it belonged to him.

Image source, EPA

Sarah Rainsford
Reporting from Kyiv

The trial of Vadim Shishimarin has resumed in Kyiv after a short break. The 21-year-old Russian tank commander has admitted the killing of a 62-year-old civilian.

Earlier, we heard from a second Russian soldier who witnessed the killing in February and later surrendered to Ukrainian forces.

Ivan Maltysev, another very slim, young-looking 21-year-old, told the court how the Russians had been forced to retreat on foot with their wounded after their column of tanks came under attack.

Image source, EPA

When a civilian car approached, the Russians opened fire on it "straight on" and, according to Maltysev, they then took over the vehicle.

About 500 metres further on, the soldiers spotted Oleksandr Shelipov - the victim.

"He was either on the phone or getting it out, I don’t remember which", Maltysev said, adding that he does remember that Vadim Shishimarin was ordered to shoot.

"Vadim didn’t do it. So the soldier, whose name I don’t know, turned round in the car and shouted that Vadim had to carry out the order, or we would be informed on.

"At this point, we were almost alongside the civilian and, under pressure, Vadim fired. He fired three or four rounds."

If you're just joining us or need a recap, here are the latest developments:

War crimes trial

• The first trial in Kyiv of a Russian soldier accused of war crimes has resumed
• Vadim Shishimarinin, aged 21, asked for forgiveness from the widow of the man he has pleaded guilty to killing

Steelworks evacuation

• Russia says nearly 800 more fighters from the besieged steelworks in Mariupol have surrendered in the past 24 hours
• The International Red Cross says it has registered hundreds of them as prisoners of war
• It remains unclear how many fighters remain at the industrial site

Elsewhere:

• The G7 is meeting in Germany to discuss further financial support for Ukraine
• The UK Ministry of Defence says Russian President Putin has fired a number of senior army commanders for underperforming
• Four people have been killed by Russian shelling in Severodonetsk, a Ukrainian official says
• A civilian has been killed in the shelling of a village in Russian near the border with Ukraine, the region's governor says

Russian media are reporting that large numbers of Ukrainian fighters are still inside the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

Drone footage posted on social media shows people on stretchers being carried away from the steelworks earlier this week.

The BBC can't independently verify the date on which the images were recorded.

Ukrainian troops began to surrender to Russia on 16 May.

Lyse Doucet
Chief International Correspondent

The UN is now calling it another war within Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In the country once described as the world’s food basket, fighting is now stopping food supplies to feed Ukraine - and the world.

“A country which represented more than 10% of the world's cereal exports is now exporting a trickle,” warns Matthew Hollingworth, the World Food Programme’s new emergency coordinator in Ukraine.

“We're seeing a potential impact on 400 million people around the world who would eat bread with wheat grown in this country,” he says.

Image source, REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Food prices have shot up around the world, including in places like Afghanistan and Yemen, where millions were on the brink of starvation even before Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

Russian attacks along the Black Sea coast, including Ukraine’s main port in Odesa, are strangling trade flows in and out of the country.

Speaking to the BBC in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Hollingworth warns “you always believe it can't get any worse. Unfortunately, we know it can always get worse”.

Vitaly Shevchenko
BBC Monitoring

Image source, 1 + 1

On a lighter note, Ukraine is marking Vyshyvanka Day today - a celebration of the traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt (pronounced vish-ee-van-ka).

It is one of the best-known symbols of Ukrainian culture, with roots reaching back several centuries.

Classic vyshyvankas boast exquisite, usually floral, patterns down the middle of the front. Some of these patterns carry a meaning of their own, such as hope, love, chastity, fertility, protection against disease or the evil eye.

Different Ukrainian regions have patterns peculiar to them. The original vyshyvanka is white, but now they are available in almost any colour imaginable.

Today, President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a tweet describing the vyshyvanka as "a holy protective amulet", external in the war with Russia.

He also tweeted a video of himself wearing the vyshyvanka:

Ukraine's Emergencies Service DSNS posted pictures of its landmine-sniffing dog Patron wearing the vyshyvanka too:

Sarah Rainsford
Reporting from Kyiv

The trial of Vadim Shishimarin began today with a powerful encounter between the Russian tank commander and the widow of the man he killed.

Kateryna Shelipova stood up in court and asked the 21-year-old what he had felt when he killed her husband Oleksandr, and did he repent his crime?

The soldier replied that he admitted his guilt and asked for her forgiveness. "But I understand you won’t be able to forgive me," he added.

Kateryna Shelipova hadn’t finished. ‘Tell me please, why did you [Russians] come here? To protect us?,’ she asked, citing Vladimir Putin’s justification for the invasion of Ukraine.

‘Protect us from whom? Did you protect me from my husband, whom you killed?”.

The soldier had no answer to that.

Image source, Reuters

Perhaps such raw encounters are what such war crimes trials are about, at least in part. Forcing a soldier – who ignored all the rules of war – to face up to exactly what he has done and the pain he has caused.

Yesterday, Kateryna told me she actually felt sorry for him, but she could not forgive him for this crime.

She heard the shots that killed her husband, then saw Sgt Shishimarin through her gate – holding his weapon.

A little later she found Oleksandr’s body in the street. "The loss of my husband is everything for me," Kateryna said, adding: "He was my protector".

Vadim Shishimarin claims that he hadn’t wanted to fire the fatal shots, that he was following orders – threatened by another soldier, if he refused to do as he was told.

Image source, Getty Images

The war crimes trial of a Russian soldier who admits to killing an unarmed civilian has resumed.

On Wednesday, 21-year-old Vadim Shishimarin admitted shooting Oleksandr Shelipov a few days after the invasion began. He faces life in jail.

The 62-year-old's widow Kateryna has testified to hearing the shots from their yard, calling for her husband and seeing Shishimarin with a gun.

Image source, EPA

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it has registered hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.

Registration involves filling out a form with personal details like name, date of birth and closest relative - the information is used to track those who have been captured and helps the organisation keep in touch with families.

In a statement, the organisation says the registration process began on Tuesday and is ongoing.

It also says that the ICRC is not involved in transporting POWs to the places where they are held.

Under the Geneva Convention, the ICRC says, it must continue to have access to POWs and be allowed to interview them without witnesses, and the duration and frequency of visits "should not be unduly restricted".

Russia says more than 900 Ukrainian fighters from the Mariupol steelworks have been taken to a former prison colony, in a Russian-controlled part of Donetsk.