On this photograph supplied by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fireplace following Russia’s drone assault within the Kyiv area, Ukraine, Sunday, Might 18, 2025.
AP/Ukrainian Emergency Service
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AP/Ukrainian Emergency Service
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with prime U.S. officers and European leaders in Rome on Sunday, a part of stepped-up diplomatic efforts forward of a high-stakes telephone name Monday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the warfare in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy spoke with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the U.S. ambassador’s residence, whereas German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated he had spoken each to Zelenskyy and to Rubio on the sidelines of the brand new pope’s inauguration.
Merz stated that he had additionally agreed with the leaders of France and Britain “that we’ll converse once more with the American president in preparation for this dialog.”
“My agency impression is that each the Europeans and the Individuals are decided to work collectively, however now additionally in a goal-oriented method, to make sure that this horrible warfare ends quickly,” Merz instructed reporters in Rome.
Trump stated he plans to talk by telephone Monday with Putin, and can then converse to Zelenskyy and leaders of varied NATO international locations, about ending the warfare in Ukraine.
The intensified diplomacy got here as Russia launched its largest drone barrage towards Ukraine for the reason that begin of the full-scale invasion in 2022, after the primary direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years did not yield a ceasefire.
Putin spurned Zelenskyy’s supply to fulfill face-to-face in Turkey after he himself proposed direct negotiations — though not on the presidential stage — as a substitute for a 30-day ceasefire urged by Ukraine and its Western allies, together with the U.S.
Talks in Istanbul on Friday broke up after lower than two hours with no ceasefire, though each side agreed on exchanging 1,000 prisoners of warfare every, in keeping with the heads of each delegations. Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, stated on Ukrainian tv Saturday that the alternate may occur as early as subsequent week.
Russia fired a complete of 273 exploding drones and decoys, Ukraine’s air power stated Sunday. Of these, 88 had been intercepted and an extra 128 misplaced, seemingly having been electronically jammed. The assaults focused the nation’s Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk areas.
Yuriy Ihnat, Head of the Communications Division of the Ukrainian Air Drive, instructed The Related Press that the barrage was the largest drone assault for the reason that begin of the full-scale invasion.
Russia’s earlier largest recognized single drone assault was on the eve of the warfare’s third anniversary, when Russia pounded Ukraine with 267 drones.
Kyiv regional Gov. Mykola Kalashnyk stated a a 28-year-old lady was killed in a drone assault on the area and three different folks, together with a 4-year-old little one, had been wounded.
In the meantime, Russia’s Protection Ministry stated its air defenses shot down seven Ukrainian drones in a single day, and an extra 18 on Sunday morning.
