Zelensky pushes allies to step up aid and involvement In war

Call to push the red lines’ of engagement reflects the pressure Ukrainian troops currently face

Western allies are taking too long to make key decisions on military support for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky told Reuters in an exclusive interview in Kyiv on May 20.

He also said he was pushing partners to get more directly involved in the war by helping to intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine and allowing Kyiv to use Western weapons against enemy military equipment amassing near the border.

The call to accelerate aid and push so-called "red lines" of engagement in the conflict reflects the growing pressure Mr Zelensky's forces are under along more than 1,000km of front lines in the north-east, east and south of the country.

An impassioned Mr Zelensky, dressed in his familiar khaki Tshirt and trousers, said the situation on the battlefield was "one of the most difficult" he had known since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

In recent weeks, Moscow's troops have made incursions into north-eastern Ukraine, further testing Kyiv's already-stretched defences. At the same time, Russia has taken territory in the eastern Donbas region in sometimes fierce battles.

"A very powerful wave (of fighting) is going on in Donbas... No one even notices that there are actually more battles in the east of the country, specifically in the Donbas direction: Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, Chasiv Yar." But he added that the situation north of Kharkiv was now "under control".

The 46-year-old was speaking on the fifth anniversary of his inauguration as president. He has not contested elections because of martial law imposed due to the invasion.

He called again for faster military aid from the US and other partners.