By Frank Jack Daniel and Angelo Amante KYIV/ROME (Reuters) -Russia unleashed heavy airstrikes on Ukraine on Thursday before a conference in Rome at which Kyiv won billions of dollars in aid pledges, and U.

Kyiv was the main target of an hourslong assault that killed at least two people, officials said. The barrage came hours before the top American and Russian diplomats met.

Kazakhstan, whose close ties with Russia and China have made it a significant regional player in Central Asia, has said it is ready to reach a compromise with the Trump administration over tariffs due to take effect next month.

Italy said on Thursday that firms that have helped Russia fund its war on Ukraine by doing business with the country should be excluded from profiting from Ukraine's reconstruction.

A bipartisan Russia sanctions bill is gaining momentum in the Senate and could soon come to a vote as Republican lawmakers attempt to strike a careful balance with President Donald Trump.

The latest assault included more drones in a single night than Russia used in the entire month of July last year.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that BRICS was not an anti-American group and that it will not listen to "language of threats and manipulation".

Russian media have been reacting to Trump's growing criticism of Putin, the most recent being on Tuesday when he accused the Russian leader of peddling "bulls***" over his intentions in Ukraine, after rejecting U.S. ceasefire proposals.