Zelensky, Johnson meet on defence, security issues

Kiev, June 18: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with visiting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to discuss defence and security issues, the presidential press service said.

In particular, Zelensky and Johnson discussed in detail the current situation on the frontline in the east and the south of Ukraine as well as the supplies of weapons, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We talked about the need to increase the supply of heavy weapons. The main thing today is to provide air defense for Ukraine as well. We started to move in this direction," Zelensky told reporters after the talks.

For his part, Johnson said that his country stands ready to continue providing weapons to Ukraine and organising military training for its use. Besides, the parties have discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and the efforts to clear the Ukrainian territory from landmines.

Other key topics of the conversation were financial and economic support for Kiev, the blockade of Ukrainian ports, as well as efforts to address the energy crisis in Ukraine.

Johnson arrived in Kiev earlier in the day for his second visit since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Previously, the British prime minister visited the Ukrainian capital on April 9.