President Trump criticized Russia’s Vladimir Putin Thursday for “very bad timing” and pleaded “Vladimir, STOP!” after a bloody new assault on Ukraine killed a number of civilians and wounded dozens in a single day within the capital of Kyiv.
Trump known as the brutal missile strikes “not necessary” in a publish on his social media website however stopped in need of demanding the Russian strongman comply with an instantaneous ceasefire or halt assaults on non-military targets in Ukraine.
“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv. Not necessary, and very bad timing,” Trump wrote on his social media website. “Vladimir, STOP!”
“Let’s get the peace deal done,” he added.
The bloodiest assault on Kyiv since final summer season got here simply hours after Trump harshly criticized Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for refusing to unilaterally acknowledge the Russian occupation of Crimea and forego future NATO membership earlier than peace talks even begin.
Ukrainian rescuers function on the website of a Russian missile assault in Kyiv early on Thursday, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A “massive” Russian missile assault on Kyiv on Thursday, killed a minimum of 9 and wounded dozens in one of many deadliest strikes on the Ukrainian capital since Moscow launched its invasion greater than three years in the past. (STRINGER/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
Zelenskyy, who lower brief a diplomatic journey to South Africa Thursday over the assault, known as on the U.S. and Europe to step up stress on Russia to just accept an instantaneous ceasefire, laying the groundwork for attainable peace talks.
“Greater pressure on (Russia) … can bring the two sides closer,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
Russia has stepped up its assaults on Ukrainian civilians within the weeks since Trump began accusing Zelenskyy of obstructing his push to shortly finish the conflict, which began when Russia invaded its neighbor three years in the past.
It unleashed a brand new barrage of missiles and drones in a single day, killing a minimum of 9 individuals and injuring greater than 70 in its deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since final July and simply as peace efforts are coming to a head.
Ukraine mentioned Russia fired 66 ballistic and cruise missiles, 4 plane-launched air-to-surface missiles, and 145 Shahed and decoy drones at Kyiv and 4 different areas of Ukraine.
Rescue employees with flashlights scoured the charred rubble of partly collapsed properties because the blue lights of emergency automobiles lit up the darkish metropolis streets.
The lethal assault got here simply hours after Trump harangued Zelenskyy in a protracted and detailed social media publish for not agreeing to a U.S.-proposed framework for peace talks that features a number of Kremlin-friendly proposals.
Trump and his prime aides have threatened to “walk away” from the battle if each side don’t comply with peace shortly.
Ukraine is resisting giving up the roughly 20% of its territory that Russia has seized, calls for that Trump has apparently conceded to Putin.
Putin has principally shrugged off Trump’s calls for for speedy progress and rejected requires an instantaneous ceasefire.
