ROME (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg in Rome on Wednesday, the Ukrainian leader’s spokesperson said, shortly after Trump pledged to send more defensive weapons to Kyiv.
The two were travelling to Italy before a conference on July 10-11 dedicated to Ukraine’s recovery and long-term reconstruction following Russia’s invasion.
Attempts by the U.S. to end the war in Ukraine through diplomacy have largely stalled and, on Tuesday, Trump aimed unusually direct criticism at the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
He said on Monday he had approved the supply of additional weapons to Ukraine, primarily defensive ones, to help it defend itself against Russian advances.
On Wednesday, Zelenskiy is also expected to visit Pope Leo at the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, and Italy’s President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, at the Quirinale Palace.
The Rome conference – the fourth such event since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of its neighbour – is mainly aimed at mobilising international support for Ukraine.
An Italian government source said about 500 billion euros ($585.35 billion) would be needed for the reconstruction, recovery and modernisation of Ukraine, citing World Bank estimates.
Kyiv has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities.
Germany said last week it was in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine to bridge the gap after the Pentagon briefly paused some shipments.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will open the Rome conference with Zelenskiy and European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to be in Rome along with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Dutch leader Dick Schoof and Greece’s Kyriakos Mitsotakis among others, the source said.
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(Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka and Dan Peleschuk, additional reporting and writing by Giselda Vagnoni in Rome, Editing by Timothy Heritage and Alex Richardson)
