Meanwhile the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv came under heavy bombardment overnight into Monday, in what officials described as the worst aerial assault on the capital in months.

A face-to-face meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian leaders is needed "to truly ensure a lasting peace," Zelensky said late on Saturday.

Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky has renewed his call for a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, insisting this is essential fo

President Trump privately questioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about whether Kyiv could blast Moscow and St Petersburg if needed to make Russians “feel the pain” and come to the

Trump wanted to "make them feel the pain," as he put it on the July 4 call, the Financial Times reported, and force Russia into peace negotiations. Zelensky said Ukraine could hit the cities if the U.S. supplied the weapons, per the Post.

Ukraine has pummelled Moscow with an unprecedented number of drones as Kiev seeks to ramp up pressure ahead of a potential new round of ceasefire negotiations that could take place as early as next week.

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not ready for compromises” to end his brutal war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told The Post in an exclusive interview on Wednesday — but President Trump has the power to bring him to his knees by speeding up tough sanctions that could cause a “social explosion” in Russia.

The White House played down reports of a private call.