It’s published •update
Ukrainian President Voldymeierzelensky filed an explicit appeal to his European allies at a meeting in Rome, saying they needed finances.
“If our partner hears what I said to them, we’ll shoot everything down. We found a solution – an interceptor drone,” Zelenskyy said.
According to Ukrainian officials, the attraction was that at least two people died and 16 people were injured on Thursday after 16 people attacked Kiev with another mass missile and drone strike.
The strike reportedly caused fires throughout the city, coming the day after the heaviest air attack of Russian full-scale invasion to date.
On Wednesday, Russia launched more than 700 attacks and decoidal drones in Ukraine, breaking through the third night barrage in two weeks.
“Our people aren’t getting enough sleep. President Putin wants to destabilise our society with these strikes. Their plan is 700-1,000 drones a day,” Zelenskyy told the delegation at the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference.
“Russia has significantly strengthened its attack on Ukraine. The current ceasefire negotiations in Turkey are clearly not working,” Zelensky noted on the face-to-face meeting in Istanbul, where little has been achieved beyond prisoner interactions.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the US and Russia exchanged new ideas for peace negotiations on the ongoing all-out war in Ukraine after meeting their Russian counterparts in Malaysia despite their “frustration.”
“I reflected what (US) President (Donald Trump) said, both disappointing and frustrating at the lack of progress,” Rubio told reporters following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
“We need to move forward with the roadmap on how this (war) ends, and we shared some ideas on how it would look,” he said after the 50-minute meeting.
But Rubio said the two now in their fourth year and discussed “new and different approaches” to discuss with the Kremlin about how to end the war.
“I don’t characterise it as a guarantee of peace, but it’s the concept of me taking it back to the president,” he explained. However, he did not provide further details about the new proposal.
The appeal of patriots
“With President Trump, we’re talking positively about the Patriot System. We have a request for 10 Patriot Systems and the corresponding number of missiles associated with these systems,” Zelenskyy said.
“Germany is ready to pay for two systems. Norway is able to pay for one system. I have a bilateral agreement with the Prime Minister. When we get a clear response from the manufacturer and the various capabilities of the US, other European partners will be taking part in the funding scheme of the American Patriot System today.”
The Trump administration said it resumed sending several weapons to Ukraine on Wednesday after a brief pause after instructing it to suspend cargo by citing short stocks.
The weapons currently heading for Ukraine include 155mm ammunition and a precision guided rocket.
Trump announced Monday that the US will continue to deliver weapons to Ukraine, saying he is “not happy” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has not pushed it out of his war purpose.
