Kiev, 26 April 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to expand domestic defence production with help from the West, he said in his daily video address on Thursday.

Zelensky said he was asking international partners who do not have their own production capacities to invest in the Ukrainian defence sector, to produce arms jointly and strengthen the front.

The request comes due to Ukraine's heavy dependence on Western arms supplies and Kiev's long wait for new US aid due to a political dispute.

Zelensky said that six-month delay in supplies from the US had caused major problems on the front and Kiev hopes to address these at the meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group set for Friday.

Now the political decisions have been made, the next step is to clarify the weapons involved and the logistics, Zelensky said.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and Kiev needs military aid from the West, partly as it can only produce a limited amount of its own weapons and also because Russia has destroyed large parts of the country's industry.

Meanwhile, the delay in further US support has put Ukraine on the defensive as Russian troops have managed to seize more territory.

Photo: MIA archive