After the 13 missiles and 728 drones launched yesterday by Russia, today a new large-scale attack with 400 drones and 18 missiles has taken place, resulting in at least two dead and 16 injured. This new demonstration by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, against a ceasefire, of his willingness to win this war that has been going on for over three years coincides with the fourth conference of Ukraine's allies in Rome to discuss defense and reconstruction.
The UN has reported a record number of civilian deaths and injuries in Ukraine in the month of June.
The participants of the Rome conference for the recovery of Ukraine have committed over 10 billion euros. In that forum, the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has announced the creation of an office for reconstruction in Madrid and a business forum to help the invaded country.
The Rome summit, attended by fifteen European presidents and heads of government, welcomes the resumption of arms deliveries by the United States and witnesses the deterioration of the relationship between the leaders of the US and Russia. President Donald Trump has recently accused Putin of "killing a lot of people" and saying "a lot of nonsense" about Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, concluded a 50-minute meeting in Malaysia, in this context of intensification of Russian attacks and diplomatic deadlock.
Russia, with a superior army in numbers and armament, occupies almost 20% of Ukrainian territory. Earlier this week, they announced the capture of a first town in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Russia Says It Discussed with the US Restoring "Bilateral Economic Cooperation"
Russian diplomatic sources said that the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, discussed restoring "bilateral economic cooperation" during their meeting in Malaysia, after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose sanctions on Russia for the war in Ukraine, as reported by Afp.
A 50-Minute Meeting Between Lavrov and Rubio After Trump Said Putin Only Talks "Nonsense"
Neither the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, nor the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, made comments to journalists at the start of their meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, which lasted about 50 minutes, as reported by Reuters.
This is the second in-person meeting, at a time when US President Donald Trump has become increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the war in Ukraine continues, accusing him of only talking "nonsense" about Ukraine.
It is currently unknown if they will address the media.
Lavrov and Rubio Conclude Their Meeting in Malaysia
The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, concluded a meeting in Malaysia, as reported by the Russian state news agency TASS, according to Reuters in a breaking news update.
Their meeting began shortly after Russia struck the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, with a second deadly barrage of drones and missiles in two days. This latest attack left two dead, according to local authorities.
Rubio also met with Lavrov on Thursday following US President's harsh comments towards his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, accusing him of saying "nonsense" about Ukraine.
Donald Trump also stated that the United States would send "more weapons" to Kiev to defend itself, expressing Washington's growing frustration over this issue.
Rubio and Lavrov had previously met in mid-February in Saudi Arabia, following the rapprochement between the two countries, according to Afp.
Russia Attacks Ukrainian Military Industry Infrastructure and Airfield
The Russian Armed Forces attacked infrastructure of the military-industrial complex and a Ukrainian airfield, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
"Tonight, the Russian Armed Forces carried out a coordinated attack with long-range high-precision weapons and drones against companies in the military-industrial complex in Kiev and the infrastructure of a military airfield," as reported in their daily war report published on Telegram, as reported by Efe.
They added that all Russian military groups on Ukrainian soil continue to advance in their offensive and improve their combat positions.
Ukrainian media, on the other hand, reported on Thursday attacks on civilian infrastructure in Kiev in which two people died during the same night.
Zelensky Calls for a "Marshall Plan" for Ukraine with Clear Funding Mechanisms
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Thursday at the IV International Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine for a "Marshall Plan" for his country that would allow it to emerge with prosperity from the Russian military invasion while benefiting financially and technologically the countries that invest in the initiative.
"We need a model like the Marshall Plan and we must develop it together," said Zelensky in reference to the US economic assistance and investment plan that was key to rebuilding Europe after the Allied victory over the Nazis in World War II.
Zelensky made an appeal to the countries and companies involved in supporting Ukraine to lead in outlining "a clear recovery plan" with "specific funding mechanisms," which he believes should already include the use of frozen Russian assets in the West and not just the benefits they generate, which are already being sent to Ukraine.
"In this common recovery project, only our true partners will be welcome," declared the Ukrainian president, making it clear that "only friends will be invited to be part of the technological and economic recovery of Ukraine."
Von der Leyen on Ukraine: "It is ready to take the next step on the path to access" to the European club
Regarding political support for Ukraine, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, highlighted that, despite the war, Kiev is approving "reform after reform" and is "ready to take the next step on the path to access" to the European club, a process "based on merits" that the European Union must also accompany, as reported by Efe.
Von der Leyen Announces a Fund to Attract Private Capital to the Reconstruction of Ukraine
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced on Thursday the creation of a European fund that will use public resources to attract private investments to the reconstruction of Ukraine, with the participation of Italy, Germany, France, Poland, and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
"We are literally taking a role in Ukraine's future by using public money to attract large-scale private investments and help rebuild the country," she stated in a speech at the Conference for the Reconstruction of Ukraine in Rome just an hour before the vote in the European Parliament on the motion of censure against her, which failed after receiving the support of 360 deputies.
Von der Leyen emphasized that this fund, the "largest global capital fund to support reconstruction," will take its first steps with investments in the energy sector, transportation, critical raw materials, and "dual-use" industries (civil and military).
Similarly, the head of the European Commission expressed confidence that other countries or entities will want to join the fund: "The people of Ukraine are ready to take the country's economy into the future. The time to invest is now," she argued.
Furthermore, Von der Leyen announced the disbursement of 1 billion euros in macro-financial support to Kiev, as well as the payment of over 3 billion within the framework of the instrument called the Ukraine Facility, through which the EU also contributes to ensuring the country's economic stability.
"The guarantees and grants that we will sign at this Conference will mobilize more than 10 billion in investments for growth, recovery, and reconstruction of Ukraine. And we will ensure that Ukraine receives support beyond 2028 when the new European budget comes into effect," she emphasized.
In this regard, the German stressed that since the invasion of Russia, "Europe has been and is the largest donor" to Ukraine with almost 165 billion euros, and that this year the EU "will cover 84% of the country's external financing needs."
Merz Urges Fico to Yield and Allow the EU to Approve the New Package of Sanctions on Moscow
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Thursday in Rome to abandon his country's resistance and allow the European Union (EU) to approve the 18th package of sanctions against Russia, according to Efe.
"I urgently ask Slovakia and its Prime Minister to abandon the resistance and clear the way for the 18th package of sanctions from the European Union (EU)," said Merz in his speech at the IV Summit for the Reconstruction of Ukraine hosted in Rome.