French President Emmanuel Macron has said it is key for Europe's security to defeat Russia in Ukraine.

He said this on Tuesday amid urgent pleas for more weapons from Kyiv, reports BBC.

He added that there was "no consensus" on sending Western troops to Ukraine but "nothing should be excluded".

Russian troops made recent gains in Ukraine which faces big arms shortages.

Kyiv is critically dependent on modern armoury supplies from its Western allies, particularly the US, to be able to continue fighting Russia - a much bigger military force with an abundance of artillery ammunition.

But the approval of a much needed $95bn (£75bn) US aid package- including $61bn for Ukraine - faces an uphill battle in the House of Representatives.

Last weekend, Ukraine's defence minister said half of all Western aid for Kyiv had been delayed, costing lives and territory.

A full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin is now in its third year, with no signs that the biggest war in Europe since World War Two could end soon.

Monday's crisis meeting in support of Ukraine was attended by heads of European states, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and top government officials like UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron.

Delegations from the US and Canada were also present.

President Macron said: "We are convinced that the defeat of Russia is indispensable to security and stability in Europe."

Describing Russia as the "sole aggressor", he said, "We are not at war with the Russian people. We just don't want to let them win.".

Mr Macron announced that a coalition would provide Ukraine with "missiles and bombs of medium and long range to carry out deep strikes". He did not say when such weapons would be delivered.

And he did not rule out sending Western ground troops to Ukraine but acknowledged that differences remained among the allies.

"There was no consensus today to send troops on to the ground in an manner that's official, assumed and endorsed," he said. "But on the dynamic, nothing should be excluded. We will do everything so that Russia cannot win this war."

"We should not exclude that there might be a need for security that then justifies some elements of deployment," he added. "But I've told you very clearly what France maintains as its position, which is a strategic ambiguity that I stand by."

Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque