Ukraine presses NATO chief for defensive weapons

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (R) and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg attend a news conference after their meeting in Kiev, Ukraine, in this September 22, 2015 handout photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service. REUTERS/Mykola Lazarenko/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine pressed NATO on Tuesday for Western weaponry to help defend itself against pro-Russian separatists but the head of the alliance resisted for fear of threatening a fragile ceasefire with Russian-backed rebels.

In Kiev's imposing Soviet-era government buildings, Ukraine's political leadership told NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that their armed forces were no match for Russia, and needed help.