Trump says he will impose sanctions on Russia after Putin launches the largest air strike of the war
President Donald Trump said he was prepared to impose sanctions on Russia after Moscow launched its largest airstrike on Ukraine since the war began on Sunday, setting fire to the Kyiv government headquarters and killing at least five people, including a baby.
Forty-four others were injured in the attack, which the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said involved more than 800 Shahed drones, nine Iskander-K cruise missiles, and four Iskander-M ballistic missiles, which struck residential apartments and set fire to the main government building where ministers were meeting.
This was the second large-scale Russian drone and missile attack targeting Kyiv in two weeks and comes less than a month after crucial peace talks Trump held with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska failed to produce a ceasefire.
Trump is under increasing pressure from his allies to impose tougher sanctions on Russia over its ongoing attacks on Ukraine, but the president has continued to insist he can negotiate an end to the war even as Putin shows little interest in halting his invasion. When asked by reporters on Sunday if he was prepared to impose a second round of sanctions on Russia following the attack, Trump replied, “Yes, I am.”
Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, wrote on Channel X that Russia “appears to be escalating” and that the attack “is not a sign that they want to end this war diplomatically.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier called on Trump to punish Putin for the devastating attacks.
“These killings now, when real diplomacy could have begun long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war,” Zelensky said on Channel X. He added, “It has been said repeatedly in Washington that sanctions will be imposed after a refusal to engage in dialogue… The world can force the Kremlin’s criminals to stop the killings—all that’s needed is political will.”
Zelensky added that he had spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron about strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses.
Shortly after the Alaska talks, Trump stated that he was working to arrange a meeting between Putin and Zelensky. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denied any arrangements for such a meeting.
In recent days, Trump has continued to insist on the possibility of talks between Zelenskyy and Putin despite the escalation of Russian attacks.
Trump told CBS earlier this week: “I’ve been following it, I’m seeing it, and I’m talking about it with President Putin and President Zelenskyy. Something will happen, but they’re not ready yet. But something will happen. We’ll get it done.”
Timur Tkachenko, head of the military administration in Kyiv, said via Telegram that more than 90 rescuers, more than 160 police officers, and more than 200 utility workers were working at the site of the attack in the Svyatoshin district of Kyiv on Sunday. This is the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that its airstrikes have hit and damaged the government headquarters in the city center, close to Zelenskyy’s office.
Zelenskyy reported injuries or deaths in other areas of the country that were also subjected to attacks last night, including Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, and Odessa.
The attack also comes just days after a meeting of Ukraine’s allies in Paris, with more than 30 countries participating in discussions on security guarantees for Kyiv. Senior US official and special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, attended the meeting, where Zelenskyy offered “special thanks” to Trump for “his efforts to end this war and for America’s willingness to support Ukraine.”
During the meeting, European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, accused Russia of obstructing peace negotiations.
Macron said: “If Moscow does not want to respect these conditions, we will have to take additional steps with the United States. The basic argument here is that there are no restrictions on Ukraine’s defense.”
