In a rare departure from his typically cautious stance on Russia, President Donald Trump on Thursday publicly urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to “STOP!” following a deadly overnight assault on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.
The attack, described as the most devastating on the city since last summer, killed at least 12 people and injured 90 others. Russian forces launched a sustained barrage of missiles and drones, hitting residential neighborhoods and leveling homes.
“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying,” President Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Photos from Kyiv showed rescue workers combing through debris in search of survivors after multiple missile impacts ripped through densely populated areas. The April 24 assault is being condemned internationally as a significant escalation, threatening to derail ongoing but fragile diplomatic efforts.
Trump’s Pressure on Both Sides
Trump’s remarks mark a notable shift. While he has repeatedly expressed admiration for Putin and argued that Russia is more willing than Ukraine to negotiate, Thursday’s outburst signals frustration over the stalled peace talks. The U.S.-led mediation initiative has failed to produce tangible results, despite months of backchannel diplomacy.
Just a day prior, Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of prolonging the war by refusing to cede the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014 as part of a possible peace agreement.
Later during a meeting in the Oval Office with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Trump reiterated his stance that Crimea was “taken without a fight” under former President Barack Obama and should not be a sticking point. “Stopping taking the whole country, pretty big concession,” Trump said, referring to Putin’s current posture in the negotiations.
Pushback from Kyiv and Allies
Zelenskyy, however, has repeatedly made clear that surrendering Crimea or any occupied territories in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, or Kherson is a red line. Speaking Thursday, he noted that Ukraine had already agreed to a U.S.-proposed ceasefire 44 days earlier, but “Moscow’s attacks had continued.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, during a visit to Madagascar, backed Zelenskyy’s position and criticized Putin for “lying” about wanting peace while continuing military aggression. “There is only one answer we are waiting for: Does President Putin agree to an unconditional ceasefire?” Macron asked, adding that “the Americans’ anger should focus on just one person: President Putin.”
France’s Foreign Ministry also issued a response to Trump’s criticism of Ukraine. “The principle of Ukraine’s territorial integrity is not something that can be negotiated,” said ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine. Talks held in Paris last week and in London on Wednesday reaffirmed that occupied land cannot be part of any peace settlement.
Diplomatic Engagements Intensify
The White House confirmed that Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will travel to Moscow for a new round of discussions with Russian officials—his fourth such visit since Trump assumed office in January. Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met Thursday in Washington to discuss military support for Ukraine and broader NATO defense spending commitments.
Rutte noted growing concerns about the sustainability of NATO’s 2% defense spending benchmark, which 22 member states reportedly met last year. “But clearly with 2%, we cannot defend NATO territory,” Rutte emphasized.
With the war showing no signs of abating and civilian casualties mounting, the pressure is on for Trump’s administration to broker meaningful progress. Whether Thursday’s plea to Putin will shift the tide—or further entrench hardened positions remains to be seen.
