Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for more military assistance from Western allies, including tanks, as representatives from more than 20 countries meet in London to discuss the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky said it was important for the international community to continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian-backed separatists.
“We need tanks, we need more modern military equipment,” Zelensky said in an interview with the BBC.
The London meeting is focused on security and political developments in Ukraine, particularly in the east of the country where fighting has been ongoing since 2014.
The meeting is being attended by representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and other European countries, as well as Canada and Japan.
The US and UK have both provided military assistance to Ukraine, including training and equipment, but Zelensky said more was needed.
“We need more help from our friends, more help from our partners, to make sure that we can protect our own country,” he said.
The conflict in eastern Ukraine has been ongoing since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula and backed separatists in the east. More than 13,000 people have been killed in the fighting, and the conflict remains unresolved.