Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has opened a conference in Italy on rebuilding his war-battered country, as it comes under relentless ground and air attacks from Russia.The Rome gathering will see the Ukrainian leader hold a flurry of meetings on Thursday, including a video call with leaders from about 30 countries in the so-called “coalition of the willing“, as he seeks to secure financing to bolster his country’s air defence systems, which were this week strained by Russia’s largest missile and drone attack in more than three years of war.
The United Kingdom and France are spearheading talks among the coalition on how to support a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, including potentially deploying peacekeeping forces to police any future peace agreement with Russia. This week, the office of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the call would cover “stepping up support for Ukraine and further increasing pressure on Russia”.
The success of the coalition’s operation hinges on United States backup with airpower or other military assistance, but the administration of President Donald Trump has made no public commitment to provide support.
Amid growing uncertainty about US commitment to Kyiv’s defence, despite Trump’s recent U-turn on pausing critical weapons deliveries, Zelenskyy had a “substantive” meeting with Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, on Wednesday. He will also talk with US officials on Thursday with the aim of adopting “the next package of US sanctions in the near future”, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. Advertisement
“Sanctions must be imposed faster, and pressure on Russia must be strong enough that they truly feel the consequences of their …
