Zelenskyy lobbies allies for more missiles and air defence systems

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that he had held a second phone conversation in two days with U.S. President Donald Trump, focusing on strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities, including long-range capabilities.

"We agreed with President Trump that our teams, our military would handle everything we discussed," Zelenskyy said, without elaborating.

He also had a separate phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, urging him to provide Ukraine with more missiles and air defense systems. Zelenskyy said Russia was "taking advantage" of shifting global attention to intensify its bombardment of Ukraine.

"Russia is now taking advantage of the moment – the fact that the Middle East and domestic issues in every country are getting maximum attention," Zelenskyy said in a readout of his call with Macron.

Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks in August but failed to extract any kind of peace deal. Diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine crisis have stalled in recent months.

Moscow has meanwhile renewed its campaign of air strikes against Ukraine's energy grid, claiming Ukraine uses the energy sites to power its military sector.

When Trump boarded Air Force One on Sunday to travel to Israel and Egypt for the Gaza peace deal, he said he may warn Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Ukraine could get Tomahawk cruise missiles if Moscow does not end its military operation.

"I might talk to him. I might say, 'look, if this war is not going to get settled, I'm going to send them Tomahawks,'" Trump told reporters.

The U.S. president said Zelenskyy had asked for Tomahawks when they were discussing a fresh supply of weapons for Kyiv in a call on Saturday.

"Tomahawks are a new step of aggression," added Trump. "Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I don't think so."

Russia says that supplying the missiles to Ukraine would risk rupturing its ties with the United States and cause a new round of escalation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov renewed that warning on Sunday, warning Moscow could treat any launches of the missile as though they were carrying nuclear warheads.

"Just imagine, a long-range missile takes off and flies, and we know it could be nuclear-armed. What is the Russian Federation to think?" Peskov told a reporter from state television.

Currently, Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of frustrating progress towards a peace deal in recent months.

Russia blames Kyiv and its European allies for the impasse, accusing them of undermining peace negotiations with Washington, while Ukraine and Europe say Moscow is stalling to seize more territory.

(With input from agencies)