ZELENSKYY IN APPEAL TO US PRESIDENT

THE Ukrainian leader has said his country’s defence against the Russian invasion is at a “turning point”, as he pressed the United States for more help hours after the Kremlin’s forces reneged on a pledge to scale back operations.

Russian kept up bombardment of areas around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv and intensified attacks elsewhere in the country.

Talks between Ukraine and Russia are set to resume today by video, according to the head of the Ukrainian delegation, David Arakhamia.

A delegation of Ukrainian legislators visited Washington on Wednesday to push for more US assistance, saying their nation needs more military equipment, more financial help and tougher sanctions against Russia.

“We need to kick Russian soldiers off our land, and for that we need all, all possible weapons,” Ukrainian parliament member Anastasia Radina said at a news conference at the Ukrainian Embassy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the case directly to his US counterpart Joe Biden.

In his nightly address to the nation, he said: “If we really are fighting for freedom and in defence of democracy together, then we have a right to demand help in this difficult turning point.

“Tanks, aircraft, artillery systems. Freedom should be armed no worse than tyranny,” Mr Zelenskyy said, as he stood in the dark outside the dimly-lit presidential offices in Kyiv.

He thanked the US for an additional $500m (£380m) in aid that was announced on Wednesday.

There seems little faith in Russia and Ukraine will resolve the conflict soon, particularly after the Russian military’s U-turn and its most recent attacks.

Russia said it would de-escalate operations near Kyiv and Chernihiv to “increase mutual trust and create conditions for further negotiations”.