“Vladimir, stop!”: Trump defends Putin after the deadly Kief attack – National
Donald Trump expressed rare criticism of Vladimir Putin on Thursday, urging Russian leaders to “stop!” after a deadly attack on Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
“I'm not happy with Russia's strike in Kiev. Not necessary, and the timing is very bad. Vladimir, stop every week! 5,000 soldiers are dying.” “Let's complete the peace agreement!”
Russia hit Keeff with an hour of missiles and drones. At least nine people have been killed in the deadliest attack on the city since July last year, and more than 70 people have been injured. The strike took place as peace efforts approached.
Trump's frustration is growing as U.S.-led efforts to reach a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia have not yet made progress.
Trump slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday and accused him of refusing to surrender to the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula to extend the “field of murder.”
Zelenskyy repeated many times during the war, beginning with Russia’s invasion in February 2022 realizing that Russia is the red line for Ukraine.
Trump will meet with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre late Thursday to discuss the war in Ukraine, U.S. tariffs and other issues.
Zelenskyy said that after the attack, he briefly cut his official journey to South Africa and returned to his hometown as the city was bombed, which left residents on the edge for about 11 hours, which Zelenskyy called “one of the most outrageous things in Russia.”
The damaged cars were in the yard along with other debris after a Russian ballistic missile attack in Ukraine on Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky).
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that Friday will be the official day of mourning in the capital.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia fired 66 ballistic and cruise missiles, air missiles launched by four aircraft, and 145 Shahed and 145 Shahed and Bait drones toward four other regions in Ukraine. Rescuers using flashlights searched for the rubble of partially collapsed houses as blue lights of emergency vehicles illuminated the dark city streets.
Zelenskyy says the future of negotiations depends on Moscow
Zelenskyy repeated many times in more than three years of war to recognize that the occupied territory is Russia as the red line for his country. He noted on Thursday that Ukraine had agreed to a U.S. ceasefire proposal 44 days ago, which was the first step in negotiating peace, but that the Russian attacks continued.
He said in South Africa that the latest attack means that the future of negotiations “depends on Russia’s intentions as it must make a decision in Moscow.”
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Despite talks in recent weeks, Russia attacked Sumi City, killing more than 30 civilians gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, beat Odesa with drones and blew up Zaporizhzhia with powerful Glide bombs.
The attack stressed that Russia was the main obstacle to ending the war, said Kaja Kallas, head of foreign policy at the EU.
“While seeking peace, Russia carried out a deadly air strike in Kiev,” she wrote on social media. “This is not a pursuit of peace, but a mockery of it.”
Senior U.S. officials warn that if both sides do not compromise, the Trump administration will soon abandon its efforts to stop the war.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the attacks showed Russian President Vladimir Putin's determination to impose a greater military advantage on the front line of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and maintained momentum at present.
Rescuers found the body of the victim under rubble after a Russian strike in a residential community in Kiev, Ukraine on Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko).
Sybiha said on X: “Putin proves through his actions rather than words that he does not respect any efforts to peace and wants to continue the war. Weakness and concessions will not stop his terror and aggression. Only strength and pressure will.”
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal pointed out that the Russian attacks have killed about 13,000 civilians, including 618 children, since February 2022.
Kyiv residents spend the night in the shelter
Ukrainian Emergency Services Ministry said at least 42 people were hospitalized after the attack on Kiev's residential suburbs.
In an almost completely destroyed residential building in Kiev, emergency workers took the rubble away with their hands and rescued a trapped woman who emerged from the wreckage covered in white dust and moaned in pain.
An elderly woman was sitting on a brick wall with blood on her face, her eyes fixed to the ground in shock when medical staff leaned towards the wound.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city military authority, said there was a fire in several residential buildings.
The attack began around 1 a.m. and at least five communities in Kiev were attacked.
One student, Oksana Bilozir, suffered a head injury in the attack. Her bandage oozed out, she said, and when the air alarm sniffed, she heard an explosion, and when another explosion caused the house's walls to collapse and the lights went out, she began to grab her stuff and escape to the shelter.
Local residents responded early Thursday, April 24, 2025 at the scene of an apartment building hit by a Russian ballistic missile strike in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky).
“I honestly don't even know how this will end, it's very terrible,” Bilozier said. “I just believe that if we can stop them on the battlefield, that's it. There's no diplomatic role here.”
The attack woke many people all night as many loud explosions echoed around the city, and the light flashed with the stimulating sky. The family gathered in a public airstrike shelter, some with pet cats and dogs.
Zelenskyy returns from South Africa
Zelenskyy said in a telegram post that he will fly back to Kiev after meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The Ukrainian leader had hoped to recruit further South African support to end the war with Russia, and it is now in his fourth year.
The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the Kiev attack was “another shocking violation of international humanitarian law.”
“Civilians must never be targeted. This meaningless use of force must be stopped,” it said in a statement.
Mother Anastasiia Zhuravlova, 33, sheltered in the basement after multiple explosions damaged her home. Her family was sleeping when the first explosion shattered the window and made the kitchen utensils fly. When they were anxious to cover the corridor, the glass shards rained.
Ukrainian searchers cleared the rubble after a Russian ballistic missile attack in Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky).
“After that, we came to the shelter because it was horrible and dangerous at home,” she said.
In the Sviatoshynskyi district of Kiev, the attack flattened a two-story residential building and suffered severe damage near the nearby multi-story building. The rescue work continued until the morning.
At a nearby school transformation center, children helped parents cover the blasted windows with plastic while others lined up for government compensation. Many people were wearing bloody clothes and still shaking.
–Associated Press reporter Michelle Gumede contributed to the report in Pretoria, South Africa.
