President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in contrast his nation’s battle in opposition to Russia to the biblical battle of David and Goliath, telling dozens of Western officers gathered in Munich for a safety convention on Friday that Western weapons can be the important thing to defeating “the Russian Goliath.”

Mr. Zelensky’s deal with got here on the opening of the annual three-day Munich Safety Convention, the place Ukraine is dominating the discussions. Officers, who embody Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, are aiming to point out unity.

However that’s more likely to be examined because the warfare grinds on, and the price of sustaining the Ukrainian battle with ever increasingly highly effective weapons in opposition to a bigger opponent threatens to create strains.

Mr. Zelensky acknowledged the true chance of “fatigue” amongst Ukraine’s allies, however burdened that the “united Davids” of the free world would prevail.

“Being David is having a sling to win,” Mr. Zelensky mentioned in a video message. “We don’t but have the sling.”

He mentioned that was why weapons deliveries have to be accelerated, telling the viewers, “we have to hurry up.”

“There is no such thing as a different to hurry, as a result of it’s the pace that life will depend on,” he mentioned. “Delay has all the time been, and nonetheless is, a mistake.”

A number of distinguished heads of state had been in attendance, together with President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain. President Biden attended the convention as vice chairman and as a non-public citizen through the Trump administration however has despatched Ms. Harris every of the previous two years.

The Ukrainian chief spoke as Russia has stepped up its offensive in jap Ukraine. In latest weeks, Moscow has rushed tens of 1000’s extra troops, lots of them inexperienced new recruits, to the entrance traces as President Vladimir V. Putin’s forces search to reveal progress earlier than the anniversary of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24.

With battles looming, Ukraine’s allies have been working to provide you with methods to offer Kyiv with the provides it can want for the battle forward. Already, allies have given all method of various Western weapon programs to Kyiv’s warfare effort, most not too long ago pledging to provide it with battle tanks. Having received the dedication of tanks and armored preventing autos in January, Ukrainian officers shortly turned to the subsequent merchandise on their want listing: fighter planes.

Mr. Zelensky expressed thanks for allies’ help so far, however famous that he had sought assist on the earlier yr’s convention, within the days forward of Russia’s invasion.

“We wished to listen to, ‘Ukraine, we will probably be with you.’ Sadly, I solely heard that after Russian missiles began to hit Ukrainian land,” he mentioned.

“David defeated Goliath not by the facility of dialog however by the facility of actions — by the facility of the sling,” Mr. Zelensky mentioned. “The sling ought to get stronger proper now in order that the subsequent yr we might collect right here in Munich for the postwar safety convention.”