In a rare public rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin, former U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called for an immediate halt to Moscow’s escalating aerial assaults on Ukraine, labeling the latest deadly strike on Kyiv as “not necessary” and “very bad timing.”
“Vladimir, STOP!” Trump wrote in a post on social media, responding to a wave of missile and drone attacks that killed at least 12 civilians and injured 90 in Ukraine’s capital. The overnight bombardment is one of the deadliest in recent months.
Trump’s remarks follow renewed calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for increased international pressure on Russia. Zelensky, who abruptly ended a visit to South Africa to return to Kyiv, accused Moscow of using a North Korean ballistic missile in the attack and reiterated that Ukraine would not cede Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
“We do everything our partners propose, except what contradicts our laws and Constitution,” Zelensky said, pushing back on Trump’s criticism that Kyiv was hindering peace efforts by refusing to recognize Russian control over the territory.
Trump, often criticized for his perceived closeness to the Kremlin and hostility toward Zelensky, was pressed by reporters on whether Russia had offered any real concessions during recent negotiations. “Stopping taking the whole country — pretty big concession,” he replied.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who met with Trump at the White House, emphasized that “the ball is clearly in the Russian court now,” urging Moscow to take meaningful steps toward ending the war.
Ceasefire Talks in the Works
As diplomatic efforts continue, Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, is scheduled to arrive in Russia this week for another round of ceasefire talks with the Kremlin. However, Russia’s latest show of force casts doubt on any imminent breakthrough.
The Russian defense ministry claimed it had targeted Ukraine’s defense infrastructure, including rocket fuel and gunpowder facilities. But eyewitness accounts from Kyiv painted a grimmer picture.
“As of 5:30 p.m., the death toll in Kyiv’s Sviatoshinsky district had risen to 12,” Ukraine’s emergency services confirmed. Locals described scenes of chaos, with residents trapped under rubble and homes shattered by the blasts.
“I saw windows break and doors blown off their hinges,” said Olena Davydiuk, a 33-year-old lawyer in Kyiv. “People were being pulled out of the rubble.”
An AFP journalist reported witnessing body bags on a grassy verge and grieving family members beside the remains of their loved ones.
Mounting Casualties Amid Renewed Violence
The deadly barrage on Kyiv comes amid a wider surge in Russian aerial attacks. Just days earlier, a ballistic missile strike in Sumy, northeastern Ukraine, killed at least 35 people.
Despite Trump’s calls for calm and renewed diplomacy, Moscow has intensified its campaign, raising concerns over the prospects for a sustained ceasefire and long-term peace.
Zelensky also questioned whether the international community—particularly Ukraine’s Western allies—are doing enough to pressure Putin into ending the war.
“I don’t see any strong pressure or new sanctions packages against Russia’s aggression,” he lamented.
As the war grinds on into its third year, the human toll continues to mount—while the path to peace remains uncertain.
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