Trump said in truth “I’m not happy” in a massive Russian air attack in the Ukrainian capital Kiev on April 24th.
US President Donald Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt Ukraine’s strike after Kiev was hit with missiles and drone attacks on April 24th.
Hours later, reporters asked Trump if he thought Putin would acquiesce.
“Yeah, I will,” Trump said he greeted the prime minister of Norway’s Jonas Garh store outside the White House.
The Ukrainian government said at least nine people have been killed and more than 70 have been injured in the biggest attack on the capital since July 2024.
The Kiev city junta stated on its telegram channel that many drones and ballistic missiles have attacked the city.
Rescue operations on April 24th are ongoing to find more bodies under the debris, and it is feared that deaths could rise.
A strike took place while the US government was trying to mediate a ceasefire in Ukraine.
On April 23, Trump accused Ukrainian President Voldy Mie Zelensky of extending the “season of killing” by refusing to abandon the Crimea to Russia as part of a peace deal.
Crimea, which has a majority of Russian people, was transported to the Republic of Ukraine in 1954 by Soviet leader Nikita Krusev.
It was included in the state when Ukraine became independent in 1991, but in 2014, separatists left Kiev and Russia annexed it later that year after holding a referendum.
The Ukrainian leader, who was elected president in 2019 and held power in the presence of an election that was postponed until the end of the war, has repeatedly said he would not agree to hand over the territory that Russia has occupied since the February 2022 invasion.
Zelensky points his finger to Moscow
Zelenskyy pointed out on April 24 that Ukraine agreed to the US-suggested ceasefire proposal 44 days ago, but that Moscow continued its attack.
Later on April 24, Trump will meet with the store to discuss war in Ukraine and mutual tariffs.
Norway, a member of NATO and a powerful Ukraine ally, shares a 123-mile border with Russia.
The meeting scheduled for April 23 in London between the Foreign Ministers to discuss peace proposals between Russia and Ukraine has been postponed indefinitely.
On April 18, Rubio said that if the US does not make any progress in the coming days, it is ready to “move ahead” from efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
On the same day, Ukrainian Economic Minister Julia Swillidenko signed a memorandum with the United States, paving the way for the rare earth mineral agreement to be finalised this week.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Dennis Schmichal was scheduled to travel to Washington earlier this week.
Ukraine has considerable deposits of rare earths, including graphite, lithium and titanium, and is used in electronics, just like uranium.
Details of the contract have not been made public and it is unclear whether it includes a security guarantee that Zelenskyy requested to prevent future Russian attacks.
The mineral trade was originally scheduled to be signed in March, but not after Zelensky publicly clashed with Trump and US Vice President J.D. Vance in his oval office on February 28th.
Zelenskyy later said the line was “unfortunate” and promised to sign a mineral trade.
Samantha Fromm and the Associated Press contributed to this report.