Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Tuesday that a rescue operation was "currently underway" in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, following a Russian missile strike that killed three people.
The president said 18 people were injured.
Ukraine does not have enough air defense systems to protect it from Russian missiles, Zelenskyy said. "But our partners do have these systems. We repeat, again and again, that air defense systems should save lives, not collect dust in storage bases."
Earlier Tuesday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that peace talks for the war in Ukraine could begin "in the winter," a timeline that coincides with Poland taking over the rotating presidency of the European Union on January 1.
Tusk offered few details about where or when or even who would be involved in the negotiations, but he told his Cabinet he hoped the "end effect" of the EU's negotiations would result in peace for Ukraine.
However, Tusk indicated that Poland, which has been a staunch supporter of neighboring Ukraine since Russian forces invaded the country in 2022, will be a major participant in the talks.
"I really want Poland to be the country that will not only be present but will set the tone for these decisions that are to bring us security and secure Polish interests," the Polish prime minister said.
Tusk said French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Warsaw later this week to talk about his meetings last weekend with Zelenskyy and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
Zelenskyy said Tuesday that "only decisiveness" can bring Russia's war in Ukraine to an end and bring lasting peace.
Days after the talks with Macron and Trump, Zelenskyy said working together to bring an end to the war is the top priority, and he expressed gratitude to Trump "for his strong resolve to bring this war to a fair end."
The Ukrainian leader further said he told Trump that Russian President Vladimir Putin "fears only him and perhaps China."
"We know that America has the capacity to accomplish remarkable things — things that others have not been able to achieve," Zelenskyy posted on X. "To succeed in ending this war, we need unity — the unity of America, Europe and everyone in the world who values security — as well as strong positions and guarantees for peace."
Zelenskyy's comments come amid questions about the level of Washington's support for Ukraine as U.S. leadership transitions from President Joe Biden's administration to a new Trump term next month.
The United States under Biden has led efforts to organize billions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine, including ammunition and air defenses to defend against Russian attacks.
Trump said after the meeting Sunday that there should be an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the start of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
