Ukraine's ambassador to NATO on Wednesday urged European allies to step up purchases of US weapons for Kyiv, as only Washington can supply key capabilities required to counter Russia's assaults.

"European NATO member states are not able to substitute either by types or by volume or speed of delivery," ambassador Alyona Getmanchuk told AFP.

"It's not that we prefer American weapons over French or German or some other European weapons -- the issue is that we are asking the US for weapons which European countries can't provide."

The appeal from Kyiv's envoy to the Western military alliance comes ahead of a meeting of countries supporting Ukraine in Brussels next week.

European nations have been buying US arms for Ukraine under a scheme hatched by President Donald Trump and NATO chief Mark

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