Ukrainian official pushes U.S. and NATO to help, urges "bigger powers" not to fear "crazy" Vladimir Putin

Kyiv — CBS News senior foreign correspondent Charlie D'Agata asked Ukraine's Minister of Culture and Information Policy, Oleksandr Tkachenko, how he thinks his country's troops are managing as they battle to keep Russia's invading forces from taking major cities and as Russian artillery pummels civilian infrastructure.

Tkachenko vowed that the people of Ukraine would never give up, but he said they urgently need more big weapons, including aircraft and missile defense systems. The minister reiterated calls for the U.S. and its NATO allies to declare and enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, to stop Russia's aerial bombardment. Washington and other capitals have ruled that out, fearing it could lead to a much wider war if Western and Russian aircraft went head-to-head.

"That's the most important things which we need right now, and, of course, financial support, because [Ukraine's] economy is not in the best shape," he said.