Updated 11.35am

Ukraine’s parliamentary speaker visits the European Parliament on Wednesday, as the country’s forces face an uphill battle to keep control of the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk.

Ruslan Stefanchuk, who chairs Ukraine’s parliament, held a joint press conference with EP president Roberta Metsola on Tuesday morning before heading to the parliament’s Strasbourg plenary to address MEPs.

Watch the address live in the video below. 

In his press conference, Stefanchuk emphasised Ukraine's desire to be accepted as a candidate for EU membership and argued that refusal to do so would play into the hands of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Metsola made it clear she backs Ukraine's bid, saying this was not the time for Europe to "turn its back on Ukraine". 

"Once a country is accepted as a candidate, there is so much that it can benefit from. That period is crucial and should be made available as soon as possible to Ukraine," she said. 

Following his speech to MEPs, Stefanchuk will spend the day meeting representatives of various political groupings within the European Parliament before holding a private meeting with Metsola and meeting with EU Council president Charles Michel.

Stefanchuk and Metsola had met in April when the EP president paid a surprise visit to Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and addressed the country’s parliament, also known that the Verkhovna Rada.