Zelenskiy works the phone to rally support against Russia

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks on the phone with European Council President Charles Michel in the Donetsk region, Ukraine February 17, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sought to rally international support for his country against Russia in a series of calls with foreign leaders on Wednesday as Moscow looked poised to annex a swath of Ukrainian territory.

Zelenskiy spoke to the leaders of countries including Britain, Canada, Germany and Turkey to press demands for more military aid and tougher sanctions on Moscow after what Kyiv and the West denounced as illegal sham referendums in four partially occupied provinces on Ukraine.