News - Middle East: Ukraine marks two years of war weakened by a lack of Western aid while Russia is emboldened by fresh gains, with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg urging Kiev and its allies not to "lose heart".

The second anniversary of the war comes as Ukraine's outgunned troops are struggling to hold the frontline and doubts swirl over future support from the United States.
"The situation on the battlefield remains extremely serious. President Putin's aim to dominate Ukraine has not changed, and there are no indications that he is preparing for peace," Stoltenberg said in a recorded message Saturday.
"But we must not lose heart. Ukraine has demonstrated remarkable skill and fierce determination again and again."
Kiev sought to mark the anniversary on an upbeat note, claiming that it shot down a highly-advanced Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Sea of Azov. If confirmed, it would be the second of the prized spy planes that Kiev has claimed to destroy within two months.
Stoltenberg claimed that Ukraine was now closer to NATO than ever before despite Putin’s bid to close the door to eventual membership of Kiev in the US-led military alliance.  
"Ukraine will join NATO. It is not a question of if, but of when,” he said.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen also praised what she called Ukraine's "extraordinary resistance" before heading to Kiev along with several other Western leaders to mark the occasion.
However two years into the war, Ukraine is on the defensive, having suffered setbacks with the failure of its 2023 counteroffensive.
The overall picture remains bleak due to the US Congress blocking a vital $60 billion aid package. This has come on top of delays in promised European deliveries.
The Russian army has in turn built up a position of strength thanks to booming war production, while Ukraine's troops are short of manpower and running low on Western-supplied ammunition for artillery and air defenses.
On Saturday, Defense Minster Sergei Shoigu visited Russian forces inside Ukraine.  
"Today, in terms of the ratio of forces, the advantage is on our side," he told troops at a command center. The army's statement said Shoigu was briefed that Russian forces were on the offensive after taking the industrial hub of Avdiivka.