US President Donald Trump criticized Vladimir Putin in the last fatal air strikes on Ukraine, signaling frustration with Moscow even though the White House intensifies kyiv pressure to recognize a de facto change in its borders.
“I am not satisfied with the Russian strikes on kyiv,” wrote Trump on his Truth social platform on Thursday. “Not necessary and very bad timing. Vladimir, stop! 5,000 soldiers per week die. Allows you to conclude the peace agreement! ”
Trump’s comments have occurred after the deadliest and largest bombing in Russia in the Ukrainian capital for months, which has killed at least 12 people and injured more than 90 others.
Russia launched strikes while Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for maintaining his peace plan.
Trump’s broadcast with Putin – that he was much less ready to blame for the war than Zelenskyy – indicates that his struggle to bring the Russian president to accept his proposals and to keep the promise to offer an end of Russia -Ukraine which lasted years.
Speaking at a press conference in South Africa, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was already making a great concession by expressing his desire to negotiate with Putin once a full cease-fire is agreed.
The apparent will of the United States to make major concessions to Russia alarmed kyiv and its European allies such as the secretary general of NATO, Mark Rutte, who later exhorts the Trump administration not to force Ukraine to accept a peace agreement against his will.
Rutte will use meetings with Trump’s assistants to assert that an unjust peace regulation that soothes Russia will increase Moscow’s threat to Europe, three managers informed of preparations said.
The long visit from Rutte to Washington for a long time, mainly focused on preparations for the NATO leaders’ summit in June, occurs a day after Trump expressed Zelenskyy for refusing to make concessions and agree with a proposal for the United States to recognize the occupation of Crimea.
Rutte will use meetings with Trump’s defense secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to emphasize that European security will also be in danger if pro-Putin regulations are forced to kyiv, said the people.
“The key message is to make the Americans understand what is at stake,” said a NATO diplomat. Rotte will also discuss the best way to coordinate the more change of the defendant of Europe by NATO in the United States to European soldiers, the people said.
In addition, other Western leaders intensify efforts to influence Trump’s hard position. The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen “will seize” any chance of speaking with Trump during the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, said her spokesperson on Thursday.
European countries fear Trump’s insistence on the recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea will contradict them with the White House while it is close to Moscow.
Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for Putin, told journalists on Thursday that Trump’s position on the peninsula, that Russia has invaded and annexed Ukraine in 2014, “corresponds completely to the Russian position”.
Russia has proposed to give up some of Putin’s remaining claims on Ukrainian territory which is not under its control, but has shown no tendency to accept a peace agreement unless its basic requests are satisfied.
“President Putin supports peace while guaranteeing the interests of our country. This is a compulsory condition,” said Peskov, according to State Newswire Tass.
Peskov also excluded a European presence of peacekeeping in Ukraine, which is part of the plan presented by the United States to Ukraine and its allies in Paris last week.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, is expected to meet Putin in Moscow this week for the fourth time this year.
Trump has become more and more frustrated by Zelenskyy while Ukraine resists Putin’s requests, which would essentially force him to stop being an independent functional state.
“He can have peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country,” said Trump about Zelenskyy in an article on Truth Social on Wednesday. “We are very close to an agreement, but the man with” No Cards to Play “should now, finally, do it,” he added, describing the situation of Ukraine as “disastrous”.
Later on Wednesday, Trump again broadcast his frustration against Zelenskyy, telling journalists from the oval office that he “thought it could be easier to treat” with him than with Russian president Vladimir Putin, but “so far, it has been more difficult”.
Zelenskyy said he would short his trip to South Africa and return to kyiv immediately after the night bombardment.
He said Russia had launched nearly 70 missiles, including ballistics and around 150 attack drones in his country. “Unfortunately, there is significant destruction,” he said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that it had targeted Ukrainian planes, missiles, machines and tanks, as well as fuel and barrel powder sites.
Additional reports by Alice Hancock in Brussels
