Ukraine's Zelenskyy meets US defence secretary in Singapore

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday he had a "very good" meeting with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin in Singapore, as he seeks to rally support for Kyiv while a Russian offensive gains ground, Azernews reports.

Zelenskyy met with Austin on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, a major security forum attended by defence officials from around the world.

The meeting came after Washington decided to partially lift restrictions on using US-provided weapons to strike inside Russia, which Zelenskyy has hailed as a "step forward".

Asked about the meeting by reporters as he left the room, the Ukrainian president said it was "very good". Austin made no comment.

A US official travelling with Austin had told AFP the pair would meet to "discuss the current battlefield situation in Ukraine and to underscore US commitment to ensuring Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself against ongoing Russian aggression".