The admission of Ukraine to Nato could result in a third world war, Moscow warned yesterday, as Russian missiles pounded more than 40 Ukrainian cities and towns and Nato allies unveiled plans to beef up Europe’s air defences.

US Senators delivered near-unanimous bipartisan approval to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden Wednesday, calling expansion of the Western defensive bloc a “slam-dunk” for US national security and a day of reckoning for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.