In a rare feat, US President Donald Trump on Thursday seemed to criticise Russian President Vladimir Putin, asking him to “STOP!!” after Kremlin’s deadly attack on Kyiv.
Moscow earlier fired a barrage of missiles and drones at Kyiv in what can be called one of the deadliest attacks on Ukraine in months. The attack killed at least 12.
Trump’s direct appeal to Putin came after Ukraine President President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the country’s allies to put more pressure on Russia to put an end to the war.
“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV,” the US President said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
“Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!” he said.
“Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”, Trump added.
Trump is trying to propel a US-led peace effort to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, but is now seemingly becoming more frustrated.
The attack comes at a critical moment in Russia’s war in Ukraine, which began with Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Both Kyiv and Moscow are trying to show Trump they are making progress towards his goal of a rapid peace deal.
He upbraided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week as well, though that was not on Truth Social.
The White House has threatened to abandon its efforts if no progress is made soon. Trump upbraided Zelensky on Wednesday over a comment in which the Ukrainian repeated that Kyiv would not recognise Russia’s occupation of Crimea.
Donald Trump has been more gentle with Putin than he has been with Zelensky.
Russia attacks Kyiv
Loud blasts sounded over the Ukrainian capital at around 1:00 am (2200 GMT) after air raid sirens rang out across Kyiv, AFP journalists on the ground said.
Russia fired at least 70 missiles and 145 drones at Ukraine between late Wednesday and early Thursday, the main target being Kyiv, the Ukrainian air force said.
Rescuers on Thursday afternoon said 10 people were killed and 90 injured.
Russia said it had targeted Ukraine’s defence industry, including plants that produced “rocket fuel and gunpowder”.
Olena Davydiuk, a 33-year-old lawyer in Kyiv, told AFP she saw windows breaking and doors “falling out of their hinges” during the barrage.
“People were being pulled out of the rubble. They said that there were dead people there too,” she added.
