Ukraine presses for weapons as U.S. and allies

Ukraine pressed allies for long-range weapons, jets and ammunition as the United States hosted a meeting at the Ramstein air base in Germany on Friday to discuss stepped up support to repel the Russian invasion.
U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the meeting would focus on air defence and ammunition as he opened the latest in a series of arms-pledging conferences ahead of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive in the coming weeks or months.
NATO member states and their allies have provided Ukraine with weapons and armour since Russia’s unleashed its invasion in February last year, but Ukraine’s leadership has repeatedly asked for more powerful weapons and quicker supplies.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pressed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on this point at a meeting in Kyiv on Thursday, and said it was time for the military alliance to open its doors to Ukrainian membership.