Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday urged allies to speed up sending weapons to defeat the Russian invasion in his speech at the start of Global leaders Security Conference in Munich. "We need to hurry up. We need speed — speed of our agreements, speed of our delivery... speed of decisions to limit Russian potential," Zelenskyy told those gathered, stressing there was "no alternative to a Ukrainian victory."

"The time is not for dialogue with Russia, because we have a Russia which has chosen war, which has chosen to intensify the war, and which has chosen to go as far as committing war crimes and to attacking civilian infrastructures," French President Emmanuel Macron said, adding that Russia's invasion "had to fail." "We absolutely need to intensify our support and our effort to the resistance of the Ukrainian people and its army and help them to launch a counter-offensive which alone can allow credible negotiations, determined by Ukraine, its authorities and its people," he asserted. While insisting that he does not want to see a lasting war, Emmanuel Macron said there needed to be readiness for "prolonged conflict" in Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meanwhile insisted that German support was "designed to last,” and urged allies to speed up deliveries of heavy tanks promised to Kiev AFP reports. "Those who can send such battle tanks should really do so now," Scholz said.

No Russian representatives have been invited to the forum.