'We will not give up,' Germany's Merz says at Ukraine conference

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged continued solidarity with Ukraine during a reconstruction conference for the war-torn country hosted in Rome.

"Our support for your country is unwavering," Merz told Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, who also joined the two-day meeting of Kiev's allies in the Italian capital on Thursday.

Addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin, the German leader said: "We will not give up."

Merz also appealed to US President Donald Trump not to abandon Europe, as Washington's commitment to Ukraine's defence remains unclear following a series of U-turns since Trump returned to the White House in January.

"Stay with us and stay with the Europeans. We are on the same page. And we are looking for a stable political order in this world," Merz said.

Merz is expected to join a number of allies in a video conference of the so-called "coalition of the willing" - a group of some 30 countries supporting Ukraine - to discuss strengthening the country's air defences, as Russia continues to pummel its smaller neighbour with heavy air attacks.

Earlier this week, Trump, airing his discontent over Putin's behaviour, said he had approved a delivery of defensive weapons to Ukraine, and later said that Ukraine's wish for an additional Patriot air defence system would be evaluated.

Another option would be for Germany to purchase two of the systems from the United States and supply them to Ukraine.