Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his disapproval of the recent deadly Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv, stating he is "not happy" with the situation and urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to "stop." However, Trump did not specify whether the U.S. might impose further sanctions or take additional action against Russia.
On Thursday night, Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital killed at least 12 people and injured dozens more. Trump emphasized that he is placing "a lot of pressure" on both sides to bring the war to an end.
The strikes mark a serious setback to ongoing efforts aimed at negotiating a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. During his last election campaign, Trump had pledged he would succeed in brokering peace between the two nations.
Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump criticized Putin directly, writing, "This wasn’t necessary, and it’s not the right time. Vladimir, stop!"
These attacks come amid increasing pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept Russian control over parts of Ukrainian territory as part of a potential peace deal.
On Thursday, Trump met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre at the White House, where he stated, "We don’t sympathize with either side — we care about the loss of lives."
Although Trump admitted disappointment with Putin’s actions, he said he would "wait one week to see if we have a deal," warning that "things will be different" if the bombing does not stop.
On the night of April 24, at least eight people were killed and more than 80, including children, were injured in missile and drone strikes on Kyiv. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that falling debris from drones caused fires at several locations, with fears that people may be trapped under the rubble of residential buildings.
There were also reports of explosions in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, where at least two people were injured.
Following the attacks, President Zelensky, who was on an official visit to South Africa, hinted at cutting his trip short to return to Ukraine.
