Ukraine's Zelenskiy meets US envoy Kellogg in Rome

ROME (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday he had held a "substantive" conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, in Rome shortly after Trump pledged to send more defensive weapons to Kyiv.

"We discussed weapons supplies and strengthening air defense. Given the increase in Russian attacks, this remains one of our top priorities," Zelenskiy wrote on the X social media platform.

"We also covered the purchase of American weapons, joint defense manufacturing, and localization efforts in Ukraine," he added.

Both men were in Italy ahead of a conference on July 10-11 dedicated to Ukraine's recovery and long-term reconstruction following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, now 40 months old.

Zelenskiy said he and Kellogg had discussed at length proposals to slap tougher sanctions on Moscow, as the Ukrainian leader has long advocated as the best means to persuade the Kremlin to abide by a ceasefire and move toward peace.

"We understand the need for tougher restrictions on Russian energy, especially secondary sanctions targeting buyers of Russian oil," Zelenskiy wrote.

He expressed hope for progress in a bill on stiffer sanctions now before the U.S. Congress, sponsored by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. The legislation, he said, "could certainly make Russia give greater thought to peace".

U.S. attempts to oversee an end to the war in Ukraine through diplomacy have largely stalled.

On Tuesday, Trump aimed unusually direct criticism at Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying the Kremlin leader's statements on moving towards peace were "meaningless".

Trump said on Monday he had approved the supply of additional weapons to Ukraine, primarily defensive ones, to help it defend itself against Russian advances. The Pentagon had stalled some shipments a week earlier.

POPE LEO OFFERS TO HOST PEACE TALKS

Zelenskiy also met Pope Leo at the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo and the Pontiff told him that the Vatican was willing to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks. It was the Ukrainian leader's second meeting with Leo in his two-month-old papacy.

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 billion) would be needed for the reconstruction, recovery and modernisation of Ukraine, citing World Bank estimates.

Italy also announced that Kellogg would take part in a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing grouping on Thursday, the first time the United States has taken part in a meeting of the European-dominated group of countries backing Ukraine.

Kyiv has asked 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.

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, Alex Richardson, Ron Popeski and Sandra Maler)