KIEV, May 17 – Ukraine needs access to modern Western lethal weapons in order to effectively defend itself against the ongoing Russian aggression in the east, a top security official said Tuesday.

Oleksandr Turchynov, the head of the National Security and Defense Committee, the top security body under President Poroshenko, met Darius Jauniskis, the head of the State Security Department of Lithuania, to address these concerns.

"The issue of military cooperation with our Western partners, particularly the provision of lethal weapons, is still not resolved,” Turchynov said.

"Today all deliveries are provided by the Ukrainian [arms maker] Oboronprom,” he said. “But this is not enough to effectively counteract the aggressor.”

Turchynov and Jauniskis agreed the two countries must work to share military intelligence in order to strengthen security in the region amid Russia’s increasingly assertive policy. Lithuania along with other Baltic nations is often mentioned by analysts as a potential target for Russia’s expanding military adventures.

Kiev and Moscow more than a year ago finalized a ceasefire deal brokered by France and Germany in the Belarus capital of Minsk, but sporadic clashes still take place on the frontline.

Poroshenko said in February that Russia continues to send its troops and military equipment across its border to the conflict zone in Donbas.

Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are denied access to the border, Poroshenko said, adding that "this is not surprising as Russia still supplies troops, heavy weapons and ammunition to Donbas over the border and does not want witnesses to these illicit activities."

Providing lethal weapons to the Ukrainian army is one of the most sensitive issues for Western governments, Russia having warned this would mark a serious escalation of the conflict and pose a threat to its security.

Last year, three leading U.S. think-tanks argued that Washington should provide $3 billion in direct military assistance to Ukraine over three years, while U.S. lawmakers also support arming Ukraine's weak army. (nr/ez)