Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that Ukraine has proposed to the United States a new format for protecting Ukrainian airspace.

According to Zelenskyy's press service, the conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump took place following a meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing" in Paris, which was also attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and leaders of European countries.

Trump also told European leaders that Europe must stop buying Russian oil that he said is funding the conflict, Reuters reported.

Speaking alongside Zelenskyy at a press conference following the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that 26 countries, mostly European, have formally pledged to deploy troops as part of a future Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire, though not directly on the front line.

Zelenskyy welcomed the announcement as a "concrete" step forward and stressed that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whether bilateral or trilateral, is "necessary" for advancing peace efforts.

Concerning the recent U.S. approval of the sale of 3,350 air-launched Extended-Range Attack Munitions system missiles to Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Thursday the U.S. move runs counter to its professed willingness to resolve the conflict in Ukraine through diplomatic means.

Russia has repeatedly pointed out that military assistance to Ukraine will essentially only "prolong its suffering" and risk causing the conflict to spiral out of control, she added.

(With input from agencies)