MOSCOW, September 23 (HS/RIA Novosti) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's meeting with Vladimir Zelensky in New York on Tuesday was tense, Bloomberg reported, citing a source briefed on the talks.

EU officials told Kiev they wanted to see progress on new legislation to fight the shadow economy, higher tax revenues and closer alignment with EU law before new funding is unlocked. Ukraine expressed concerns over a shortage of air defense systems ahead of winter, the report said.

More defence support is coming. And as reforms in the Rada progress, more budget support too, von der Leyen said on X following the meeting.

Russia has repeatedly warned that arms supplies to Ukraine hinder settlement efforts and make NATO allies involved in the conflict. The Kremlin has stated that the West's armament of Ukraine is counterproductive to negotiations and will have a negative effect.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar