Trump reacts to Putin's overnight attack on Kyiv: 'Vladimir, STOP!'

Donald Trump says he is 'not happy' that Vladimir Putin launched an overnight missile strike on Kyiv after Ukraine and Russia failed to reach a peace deal yesterday. 'I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing,' he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. Trump urged his Russian counterpart: 'Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!'

Russia attacked Kyiv with an hours long barrage of missiles and drones overnight, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 70 in its deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since last July and just as peace efforts are coming to a head. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said today that the large-scale missile attack on Kyiv was designed to put 'pressure' on the United States.

He also insisted that Kyiv would not change its position on Crimea, after Trump criticised him for not agreeing to cede the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Europe has also stepped up demands on Putin to agree to an immediate unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, with French President Emmanuel Macron having accused the Russian leader of 'lying' about wanting peace.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the deadly overnight attack demonstrated that Putin was 'the aggressor here'. The Kremlin fired 66 ballistic and cruise missiles, four plane-launched air-to-surface missiles, and 145 Shahed and decoy drones at Kyiv and four other regions of Ukraine overnight, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Kyiv reeled from the bombardment, which kept residents on edge for about 11 hours. Zelensky called the fatal attack 'one of the most sophisticated, most brazen' during Russia's three-year invasion. Zelensky is visiting South Africa but has said he will cut his trip short to return to Kyiv - after his talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa.

'Russia understands that Ukraine is standing up, defending its rights and (it) is putting pressure on our people. It is also putting pressure on America,' the Ukrainian president told journalists in South Africa. 'This is what I also link today's attack with.' Thursday's attack came hours after Trump said a Ukraine peace deal was 'very close' and effectively closed with Moscow.

But Zelensky insisted that Kyiv would not accept Crimea as part of Russia. Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014 and backed a pro-Russian rebellion in eastern Ukraine, leading to years of conflict with Kyiv. 

'We do everything that our partners have proposed, only what contradicts our legislation and the Constitution we cannot do,' Zelensky said, answering a question on Crimea. Trump said a day earlier that Kyiv had lost Crimea 'years ago'.

Zelensky also said he did not see enough pressure from Kyiv's allies on Moscow to halt its invasion. 'I don't see any strong pressure on Russia or any new sanctions packages against Russia's aggression,' Zelensky told journalists during a visit to South Africa.

He did however acknowledge that Trump had previously warned of repercussions if Moscow did not agree to a ceasefire. Macron is also putting pressure on Moscow to reach a deal and accused Putin of 'lying' about his wanting peace.

'The only thing to do is for President Putin to finally stop lying,' Macron said during a visit to Madagascar, saying how the Russian leader was telling US negotiators 'he wants peace' but then continuing 'to bombard Ukraine'. 'In Ukraine, they only want a single answer: Does President Putin agree to an unconditional ceasefire?'

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