Ukrainian president asks for complete closure of airspace

ANKARA

The Ukrainian president on Thursday asked for the closure of airspace 'completely,' saying missiles are launched not only from Russia but also from Belarus.

"I want the airspace to be completely closed because missiles are launched not only from Russia but also from Belarus," Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters in a news conference in Kyiv.

He added that Iskander missiles -- the Russian short-range ballistic missile system -- are being fired from those zones.

Underlining the urgent need for planes in Ukraine, he said: "We need planes. We can't do anything without planes right now. This situation is costing the lives of many people."

He urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to "stop this war."

"We must sit down and talk without preconditions," he continued.

Zelenskyy also thanked for all the support given to Ukraine, but he said children would not have died if support had not come "too late."

"We are the defense between civilization and Russia," he said, adding Kyiv needs assurances and guarantees of protection from the West.

He also called on Russian mothers to come and get their children, saying: "Young people shouldn't be in morgues."

On Ukraine's relations with Poland, the president explained how close their ties are saying his Polish counterpart calls him daily and asks about necessities, and that he holds him on the line, then calls the army and gathers them to answer his questions.

Zelenskyy's news conference came as Russian and Ukrainian delegations began the second round of peace talks in the Belarusian city of Brest.

Over 2,000 civilians have been killed since Russia launched its war on Ukraine on Feb. 24, according to Ukrainian authorities, while the UN refugee agency estimates over 1 million people have fled to neighboring countries.