Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been stepping up diplomatic talks as heavy fighting continued in the country’s south and east over the weekend. Following a flurry of chats with his US, French and Turkish counterparts yesterday, experts say the Ukrainian leader is keen to shore up support ahead of a harsh/long winter and no end in sight for the months-long war. A chat with US President Joe Biden on Sunday delivered a commitment to boost Ukraine’s air defences, and Zelensky spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about grain exports. Yesterday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also hosted a virtual meeting with G7 leaders and European Union reps to talk about further Russian sanctions and additional aid/weapons for Ukraine. Zelensky says he expects some “important results” from that activity next week.