Ukraine says it is paying in lives as tank debate drags on

Kyiv urged Western allies on Thursday to hurry up and supply tanks and air defense systems, saying Ukraine was paying in lives for the slow pace of discussions in foreign capitals.

"We have no time, the world does not have this time," said Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Western allies meet at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday with the focus on whether Berlin will allow its Leopard 2 battle tanks to be supplied to Kyiv to help drive out Russian forces.

Ukraine, in a joint foreign and defense ministry statement, said the Kremlin was determined to escalate hostilities to revive its faltering invasion and that the threat of a new full-scale offensive by Russian forces was "very real".

"The question of tanks for Ukraine must be closed as soon as possible. Just like the questions...