Trump, Zelensky discuss weapons, escalating strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed air defences in a conversation with US President Donald Trump, and agreed to work on increasing Kyiv's capability to "defend the sky" as Russian attacks escalate.

He added in his account on Telegram that he discussed joint defence production, as well as joint purchases and investments with the US leader.

Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes.

A decision by the US to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia's airstrikes and battlefield advances.

Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems to bridge the gap.

The conversation came a day after Mr Trump said he had a disappointing call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia pummelled Kyiv with the largest drone attack of the war across the capital, hours after Mr Trump's conversation with Mr Putin yesterday.

Mr Zelensky called the attack "deliberately massive and cynical."

Germany's Merz spoke with Trump about buying Patriots for Ukraine

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed his country's offer to buy Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine with Mr Trump by phone yesterday, according to a government spokesperson.

Mr Merz initiated the call with Mr Trump to promote arms deliveries to Ukraine, particularly Patriots, after the Pentagon paused some shipments, the spokesperson told Reuters.

Spiegel magazine first reported the phone call.

Germany was in "intensive talks" to buy Patriots for Ukraine to help it counter some of the heaviest Russian attacks since the war began in 2022, the spokesperson said earlier at a press conference.

"There are various ways to fill this Patriot gap," the spokesperson told journalists, adding that one option being considered was buying the Patriot missile batteries in the US and then sending them on to Kyiv.

The US has paused shipments of certain critical weapons to Ukraine including 30 Patriot air defence missiles, sources told Reuters this week, due to low stockpiles, prompting warnings by Kyiv this would weaken its ability to defend itself.

Germany has sent three of the US-made systems from its military stocks to Ukraine, and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius last month launched an initiative to chase down more of them at the Ramstein group of some 50 nations.

Mr Pistorius would travel to Washington later this month for talks with his US counterpart about his initiative, as well as production capacities, said a defence ministry spokesperson.

"Of course these issues will also be on the agenda," said the spokesperson.

The US Embassy in Berlin was not immediately available for comment.

Mr Pistorius has floated the idea of buying Patriot systems that could be freed up to bypass long industrial delivery times and ensure they get to Ukraine quickly.

Germany, Ukraine's second largest donor after the US, has sought to take on more of a leadership role in ensuring backing for Kyiv as US support has been thrown into question under Mr Trump.

While Europe could sustain Ukraine's resistance without US military support, according to a senior German military official, the challenges would be immense.

Germany has provided a total of €38 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine, including funds earmarked for the coming years, according to the defence ministry.

A Bloomberg News report said Germany was preparing a €,25-billion-euro tank order to ramp up its NATO brigades.

The defence ministry had no immediate comment.

Russian strike hits power line to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Russia destroyed the power line that connects the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to the power grid, causing a blackout, Ukraine's Minister for Energy German Galushchenko said.

All the external power lines supplying electricity to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine to help it cool the fuel in its reactors are down, the UN nuclear watchdog said.

"Ukraine's ZNPP lost all off-site power at 17:36 today, 9th time during military conflict and first since late 2023," the International Atomic Energy Agency said on X.

It added that the plant was relying on its emergency diesel generators for power.

Its six reactors are all shut down but the plant requires power to its cooling systems for safety.