Sawt Falasteen - Zelensky pushes for promised weapons as Russia advances

He pressed his nation's case to allies meeting at the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where Washington unveiled a new $250 million in military aid for Ukraine.

"We need more weapons to drive Russian forces off our land," said Zelensky, who also met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The gathering came as Moscow's forces advance in the Donbas region, Russian President Vladimir Putin having declared on Thursday that capturing the eastern area was his "primary objective" in the conflict.

Zelensky urged Kyiv's supporters to follow through on previous commitments. "The number of air defence systems that have not been delivered is significant," he said.

And he again called for restrictions to be lifted on the use of long-range Western weapons.

"We need to have this long-range capability, not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on the Russian territory," Zelensky said.

Asked about Zelensky's appeal, US defence chief Lloyd Austin said: "I don't believe that one specific capability is going to be decisive.

"It's not just one thing, it's a combination of capabilities and how you integrate those capabilities to achieve objectives," said Austin.

- Talks in Italy -

Later Friday, Zelensky arrived in Cernobbio, northern Italy, for the European House-Ambrosetti forum on the banks of Lake Como. He is due to hold talks with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni there on Saturday.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban -- who upset his EU counterparts and Zelensky by meeting Putin in Moscow in July -- is also attending the three-day economic forum.

Italy has strongly supported Ukraine and has sent weapons to help it defend itself against Russian forces, while insisting these must only be used on Ukrainian soil.

At the meeting in Germany, Austin said Washington's latest military aid package "will surge in more capabilities to meet Ukraine's evolving requirements".

The assistance will include ammunition for HIMARS precision rocket launchers, artillery rounds, anti-tank and anti-air weapons, the US said.

The talks in Germany, with representatives from some 50 nations, focused on areas including bolstering Ukraine's air defences and encouraging allies to boost their defence industries.

- 'Just and lasting peace' -

Since the start of Russia's offensive in February 2022 when it failed to seize the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Moscow has adapted its aims, concentrating instead on trying to conquer eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine on Friday claimed to have recaptured a part of the eastern Ukrainian town of New York, in what would be the first success for Kyiv on this part of the front for months.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking in Oslo Friday, said Kyiv needed more military support and that the "quickest way to end this war is to provide weapons to Ukraine.

"Putin must realise that he cannot win on the battlefield, but must accept a just and lasting peace where Ukraine prevails as a sovereign and independent nation," he said.

- US uncertainty -

The United States has been Ukraine's biggest backer during the conflict, providing military aid worth more than $55 billion (50 billion euros) since February 2022.

But uncertainty looms over the future of that funding as a US election in November could see Ukraine-sceptic Donald Trump back in the White House.

Germany -- Ukraine's second-biggest backer -- has also come under pressure domestically over its aid for Kyiv, which has been at the centre of a protracted row over the 2025 budget.

After talks with Zelensky in Frankfurt on Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz posted on X that "Germany is and will remain the strongest supporter of Ukraine in Europe."

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius also announced on the sidelines of the meeting that his country would provide 12 artillery pieces valued at 150 million euros to Ukraine.

"I'm grateful to Germany, its government, and its people for all their support," Zelensky said in a social media post after meeting with Pistorius.

B.AbuZeid--SF-PST