Addressing MEPs over video-link, the wartime leader said every square in his country would be renamed “freedom square” in honour of Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion.

Nobody is going to enter and intervene with our freedom,” he said, from his secret bunker in Kyiv. “Believe you me every square, as of today, no matter what it’s called, is going to be called freedom square in every city of our country.

“Nobody is going to break us, we’re strong, we’re Ukrainians.”

President Zelensky also challenged EU leaders to “prove” they are Europeans by backing his bid for Ukraine to join the bloc.

“Prove you are with us, do prove that you will not let us go, do prove that you, indeed, are Europeans and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness,” he said.