US President Donald Trump made a rare and pointed public criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, calling for an end to hostilities following a devastating missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital that resulted in at least 12 fatalities and numerous injuries.
The overnight assault, characterized as the most severe on Kyiv this year, left buildings in shambles, sparked multiple fires, and dashed any immediate hopes for a ceasefire as negotiations between the two nations reportedly progress slowly.
“I am not pleased with the Russian strikes on Kyiv. They are unnecessary and poorly timed. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers are dying each week. Let’s finalize the Peace Deal!” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Later, while speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump stated that his administration was exerting “a lot of pressure” on both Moscow and Kyiv to reach a peace agreement. He suggested that “significant concessions” had been made by the Kremlin, which he claimed had shown a willingness to cease its full-scale invasion.
“The next few days will be crucial. Meetings are currently underway,” he remarked. “I believe we are on the verge of making a deal... I think we are getting very close.”
These remarks come amid increased diplomatic activity in Washington, where NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also engaged in discussions regarding the crisis. Rutte, addressing reporters after his meeting with Trump, stated that Ukraine was “cooperating” and that the ball was now “clearly in the Russian court.”
However, the Russian strike has complicated these efforts. Ukraine’s emergency services reported 12 deaths and 90 injuries from the overnight attack, which targeted 13 locations across Kyiv. Rescue teams, supported by sniffer dogs and climbing experts, continued to search through the debris 12 hours post-attack, with reports of mobile phones ringing beneath collapsed structures.
“There was an air raid siren, we didn’t even have time to get dressed,” recounted Kyiv resident Viktoria Bakal. “One explosion followed another, all the windows were shattered, doors and walls collapsed, my husband and son were thrown to the other side.
According to Ukraine’s military, the strike involved ballistic missiles, drones, and precision weapons launched from air, sea, and land. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy claimed that a North Korean-made ballistic missile — the KN-23 — was utilized in the assault, based on preliminary findings. A military source indicated that the missile hit a residential building west of Kyiv’s center.
Russia’s Defence Ministry asserted that the attack was aimed at Ukraine’s military-industrial complex. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in an interview with CBS News, reiterated Moscow’s assertion that civilians were not targeted. He added that peace negotiations were “progressing in the right direction” but that “certain specific points require fine-tuning.”
Conversely, Zelenskiy cautioned that the air assault was a cover for intensified ground operations, particularly in the eastern Pokrovsk sector, although Ukrainian forces reportedly repelled the attack.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that seven other Ukrainian regions were also affected. Strikes were noted in Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, and the industrial city of Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk.
Despite advocating for a swift resolution, Trump adopted a gentler tone with Putin compared to Zelenskiy. On Wednesday, he criticized the Ukrainian leader for not acknowledging Russia’s annexation of Crimea, labeling his position as unhelpful to peace talks. Trump later remarked that it would be “very difficult” for Ukraine to reclaim the peninsula.
In the meantime, a US official confirmed that Trump’s special envoy would meet with Putin on Friday, raising hopes that a new proposal might be on the table.
The White House has cautioned that its diplomatic initiatives could be abandoned if progress is not made soon, adding urgency to what Trump described as his own “fast” deadline for peace.