Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy launched the fourth international conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction Thursday in Rome, urgently appealing for enhanced air defense support following Russia’s largest aerial assault since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. The summit comes just days after Moscow launched 728 drones and 13 missiles in one night, followed by another barrage of 400 drones and 18 missiles targeting Kyiv and its surroundings.

"The enemy’s massive night attack on Kyiv region lasted for almost 10 hours," said Kyiv military chief Mykola Kalashnyk. Fires and fatalities were reported across multiple districts, while residents spent the night sheltering and tracking Shahed drones by sound and phone alerts.

Coalition Support in Doubt Amid U.S. Ambiguity

Zelenskyy is lobbying for immediate financial and military support from roughly 30 countries participating in the so-called “coalition of the willing.” While the UK and France have pushed talks on deploying peacekeepers in the event of a ceasefire, the U.S. under President Trump has so far offered no firm commitment to military support for such a plan.

Nonetheless, Trump recently reversed his freeze on arms deliveries, and Zelenskyy met Wednesday with Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg for a "substantive" discussion. According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Zelenskyy will also press for a new round of U.S. sanctions during further meetings with American officials.

“Sanctions must be imposed faster, and pressure on Russia must be strong enough that they truly feel the consequences of their terror,” Zelenskyy said.

Before the conference, Zelenskyy met with Pope Leo for the second time since the pontiff’s election in May. The Vatican said they discussed "the urgent need for a just and lasting peace" and again raised the possibility of Vatican-hosted negotiations—though Moscow dismissed that idea in May.

Rome’s conference, hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, includes representatives from 100 delegations, 40 international organizations and development banks, and more than 2,000 companies. The gathering aims to match Ukrainian institutions and businesses with international investors to rebuild war-damaged infrastructure and prepare Ukraine for EU membership.