THE UKRAINIAN President has suggested his country could join the EU "within months" after discussions with the bloc.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks today with the EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen, following his application to join the group shortly after the start of the conflict.

In a televised address, Mr Zelenskyy said he had a "busy day of negotiations" with the EU Commissioner, as well as Charles Michel, President of the European Council and "Ukraine's great friend, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Johnson."

He added: "President Ursula von der Leyen has promised to do everything possible to speed up Ukraine's accession to the EU.

"We reduce bureaucratic processes for our state, which usually take years, to weeks, to months. It's not easy, but we do it. I am sure."

In a call with Mr Zelenskyy, the Prime Minister "reiterated his disgust at Russia’s barbaric actions", a downing street spokesman confirmed.

They added that Mr Johnson shared "his admiration for the steadfast resistance of the Ukrainian people in the face of tyranny. He said the entire United Kingdom stands with Ukraine."

Lieutenant General Sir Jim Hockenhull, Britain’s chief of defence intelligence, said the Kremlin has been forced to switch tactics, turning to the “reckless and indiscriminate” use of firepower which will inevitably lead to more civilian casualties.

The Russians have “enormous” stocks of artillery ammunition and could maintain their bombardment for weeks in an attempt to force Ukraine into submission, Western officials say.

However Mr Zelenskyy was adamant that his people would keep fighting to protect their country, and repeated calls for foreign companies to boycott Russia.

Meanwhile members of the UN Security Council met to discuss the claims by Russia that Ukraine is creating biological weapons, financed by the US.

Experts fear the claims, which have been dismissed by the Security Council High Commissioner, are being used as a "false flag" by the Kremlin to justify using their own chemical weapons in Ukraine.

The Russian permanent representative Vasily Nebenzya said that evidence had been uncovered "during Russia's special military operation in Ukraine".

He claimed that they had information "regarding the implementation of the Ukrainian authorities with the support and the direct supervision of the US Ministry of Defence of dangerous projects as part of their military biological program."

He said this "created a real threat for the biosecurity of our country and the whole region."

However the UK's representative to the council, Dame Barbara Woodward, said the claims were a "charade".

She said: "We've had a rehash of amateurish disinformation, which we discussed and debunked last Friday.

"It was nonsense then, and it is nonsense now."

She said that there were Ukrainian laboratories "carrying out research on public health hazards" and these "are not a threat to the public, to international peace and security."

Dame Woodward continued: "By contrast, President Putin's illegal and inhumane invasion of Ukraine is the most significant threat to international peace and security we face today.

"Today's charade is really not worthy of a permanent member of the UN Security Council."

The American representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield echoed the UK's response, saying: "Ukraine does not have a biological weapon program.

"There are no Ukrainian biological weapons laboratories, not near Russia's border, not anywhere.

"They're public health facilities proudly, and I say proudly, supported and recognised by the US government, the World Health Organization, and other governments and international institutions."

She added the Security Council meeting yesterday was "the result of [Russia's] isolation on this council and on the world stage". and continued: "We're not buying what they're selling, literally or figuratively.

"The United States [has] deep and serious concern that Russia's calling for this meeting is a potential false flag effort."

The US representative said it was Russia who had chemical weapons and had used them illegally, against Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, as well as against Alexander Litvinenko.

The meeting came as the US President Joe Biden spoke with Chinese president Xi Jin Ping for almost two hours.

According to the Chinese government, Mr Xi told Mr Biden that “the world is neither tranquil nor stable” and “the Ukraine crisis is not something we want to see”.

The Chinese president said that “conflict and confrontation are not in anyone’s interest” and the US and China “must shoulder our share of international responsibilities and work for world peace and tranquility”.

Antony Blinken, US secretary of state, said before the call that Mr Biden would “make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia’s aggression, and we will not hesitate to impose costs”.