Germany said it had offered to finance two new Patriot systems for Ukraine and raised the possibility of supplying systems it already owned and having them replaced by the US.

But delivery could take time, German chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested, because "they have to be transported, they have to be set up; that is not a question of hours, it is a question of days, perhaps weeks".

Other Patriot systems could come thanks to Switzerland, whose defence ministry said on Thursday it was informed by the US defence department that it would "reprioritise the delivery" of five previously ordered systems to support Ukraine.

While Ukraine waits for Patriots, a senior Nato official says the alliance is still coordinating the delivery of other military aid — such as ammunition and artillery rounds — which includes briefly paused supplies from the US. The official spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

Russia carried out one of the largest aerial assaults of recent months on Ukraine hours before Britain and Germany chaired a meeting to discuss US president Donald Trump's plans for Nato allies to provide Kyiv with weapons.

The drone and missile attack on the capital Kyiv killed two people and wounded 15, including a 12-year-old, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said.

A drone struck the entrance to a subway station in the Shevchenkivskyi district where people had taken cover. Videos posted on social media showed the station platform engulfed by smoke, with dozens of people inside. The heaviest strikes hit the city's Darnytskyi district, where a kindergarten, a supermarket and warehouse facilities caught fire.

French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who arrived in Kyiv on Monday for talks with Mr Zelensky, visited some of the damaged areas.

The assault underscored the urgency of Ukraine's need for further Western military aid, especially to boost air defence, a week after Mr Trump said deliveries would arrive in Ukraine within days.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Russian president was ready to negotiate, but that Russia remained committed to “achieving its goals”.

It comes after Mr Zelensky offered Moscow another round of peace talks for this week, saying he wanted to speed up ending the conflict, following US president Donald Trump’s 50-day deadline of ceasefire or sanctions.

Ukraine and Russia held two rounds of talks in Istanbul on 16 May and 2 June that led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers.

But they have made no breakthrough so far towards a ceasefire or a settlement to end almost three and a half years of war.

The Kremlin says Ukraine must abandon four regions it insists have been incorporated into Russia.

Ukraine has backed US calls for an immediate ceasefire. Moscow says certain arrangements must be put in place before a ceasefire can be introduced.

Russian president Vladimir Putin, who is under increasing pressure from US president Donald Trump to show progress towards ending the conflict, turned down a previous challenge from Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to meet him in person.

The growing pressure comes as Mr Trump said last week he would impose new sanctions in 50 days on Russia and countries that buy its exports if there is no deal before then to end the conflict.

Britain imposed new sanctions on Russia's so-called "shadow fleet", targeting 135 oil tankers along with two Russian firms, shipping company Intershipping Services LLC and oil trader Litasco Middle East DMCC.

The oil tankers are critical to Russia's energy and oil sectors, with the British government saying they form part of the fleet responsible for carrying $24bn worth of cargo since the start of 2024.

Foreign minister David Lammy said the new sanctions would further "dismantle" Russian President Vladimir Putin's so-called "shadow fleet and drain Russia's war chest of its critical oil revenues".

The government said Intershipping Services LLC is responsible for registering vessels under the Gabonese flag, enabling them to transport up to $10bn worth of goods annually on behalf of the Russian state.

Sanctions were also imposed on Litasco Middle East DMCC for its continued role in shipping large volumes of Russian oil, the government said.

The Russian embassy in London did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the latest sanctions.

Moscow has previously called Western sanctions illegal and said they destabilise global energy markets.

On Friday, the European Union agreed an 18th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, including measures aimed at dealing further blows to the Russian oil and energy industry.

As part of that, the EU and Britain set out plans to lower the crude oil price cap from $60 per barrel to $47.60 to disrupt Russia's oil revenues.

The virtual meeting of high-level military officials yesterday was led by British defence secretary John Healey and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius.

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth and Nato leader Mark Rutte, as well as Nato's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Gen Alexus Grynkewich, attended the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.

Moscow has intensified its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities, and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate as Russian drone production expands.

Ukraine's new defence minister Denys Shmyhal urged allies to speed up deliveries of American air defence systems under the plan put forward by the US president Donald Trump.

"I request the US to make these weapons available for purchase, and our European partners to extend all the needed financing for their procurement," Mr Shmyhal, who until recently served as prime minister, said as the meeting began.

At yesterday’s meeting, Mr Healey was expected to urge Ukraine's Western partners to launch a "50-day drive" to get Kyiv the weapons it needs to fight Russia's bigger army and force Russian president Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, the UK government said in a statement.

Nato's Grynkewich told The Associated Press on Thursday that "preparations are underway" for weapons transfers to Ukraine while US ambassador to Nato Matthew Whitaker said he couldn't give a time frame.

Mr Trump's arms plan, announced a week ago, involves European nations sending American weapons, including Patriot air defence missile systems, to Ukraine via Nato — either from existing stockpiles or buying and donating new ones.

In an shift of tone toward Russia, Mr Trump last week gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face tougher sanctions.

Officials in Russia have said peace talks for Ukraine war will take place in Turkey tomorrow, Russia's state Tass news agency quoted a source.

The RIA news agency, also quoting a source, said they would take place over two days, Thursday and Friday.

The Kremlin said it was waiting for confirmation of the date of the talks but said the two sides were "diametrically opposed" in their positions on how to end the war.

The next set of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia is planned for tomorrow in Turkey, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky quoted the head of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council as saying yesterday.

"Today I discussed with Rustem Umerov the preparation for a prisoner exchange and another meeting with the Russian side in Turkey," Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

"Umerov reported that the meeting is planned for Wednesday. More details will follow tomorrow,” he said.