Russia launched one of the most devastating bombardments on Ukraine's major cities since the war began overnight Thursday, killing at least 12 people, hours after President Donald Trump said he believed he had struck deals with both sides to end the war. “Vladimir, STOP!” Trump wrote on Truth Social after the attacks, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV.
Not necessary, and very bad timing,” Trump said. “5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!” Trump told reporters Thursday he believed Putin would listen to his plea to halt strikes on Ukraine.
He said that while there was “a lot of hatred,” “bad blood” and “disgust” between Ukraine and Russia, they both wanted peace, “but they have to get to the table.” He said he believes both sides will ultimately reach a peace agreement and added that he wants it to happen quickly. At a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office later Thursday with Norway's prime minister, Trump said he "didn’t like last night. I wasn’t happy with it, and we’re in the midst of talking peace, and missiles were fired, and I was not happy with it."
Asked whether he would consider additional sanctions on Russia if it keeps bombing Ukraine, he said: "I'd rather answer that question in a week. I want to see if we can have a deal. … No reason to answer it now, but I won’t be happy.
Let me put it that way — things will happen.” Trump said the United States is putting pressure on both sides, especially Russia, saying, “You have to have two to tango.” Asked whether Ukraine would have to give away some territory to secure a peace deal, he said: "It depends what territory they've been fighting. They’ve lost a lot of territory, and we’ll do the best we can, working with Ukraine, we’ll do the best we can, but they lost a lot of territory." Trump said it would be "very difficult" for Ukraine to get back Crimea, the peninsula that Russia took control of during the Obama administration, which he falsely claimed President Barack Obama to Russia.
Trump said Russia has offered concessions in the talks, including "stopping the war, stopping taking the whole country," which he described as a "pretty big concession." Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was in the Oval Office with Trump, said that the United States has shown a "pathway forward" and that negotiations will continue over the weekend. "We've shown them the finish line.
We need both of them to say yes, but what happened last night with those missile strikes should remind everybody of why this war needs to end." The missile strikes caused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cut short a trip to South Africa. He said he would return home immediately to deal with the “destruction” in his country.
“Russia continues to kill people and avoid tough pressure and accountability for this,” he said Thursday. “Unfortunately, there is a lot of destruction. Rescue operations are ongoing; the rubble of buildings is being cleared.” The capital, Kyiv, was pummeled with 70 missiles, 48 of which were shot down, and 140 drones, 64 of them shot down, Ukraine’s air force said.
It was “a particularly horrible and loud night,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a statement. The death toll has risen to 12, Ukrainian officials said after they recovered two bodies from under the rubble. Ninety people were injured.
