After speaking with Putin on Thursday, Mr Trump held a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Mr Zelensky said he and Mr Trump agreed to “strengthen protection of our skies”, although details on this were not shared.

The Ukrainian leader posted on X: "Today we discussed the current situation, including Russian airstrikes and the broader frontline developments. President Trump is very well informed, and I thank him for his attention to Ukraine. We spoke about opportunities in air defence and agreed that we will work together to strengthen the protection of our skies. We have also agreed to a meeting between our teams.

"We had a detailed conversation about defence industry capabilities and joint production. We are ready for direct projects with the United States and believe this is critically important for security, especially when it comes to drones and related technologies.

"We also touched on mutual procurement and investment. Finally, we exchanged views on the diplomatic situation and joint work with the U.S. and other partners."

Mr Trump was asked by a reporter if he plans to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine. He responded: “We might. We're looking at it."

As Russia continues its onslaught in Ukraine, China reportedly warned that the country cannot afford for Putin to lose the war in Ukraine.

Beijing's foreign minister, Wang Yi, said he fears that the US will shift its focus to China if Russia is defeated.

The comments were made during a four-hour meeting between Mr Wang and Kaja Kallas, the vice-president of the European Commission, according to sources who spoke to the South China Morning Post.