Vladimir Putin is making fun of Donald Trump by launching a deadly attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, according to Poland’s Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski. He said this was Russia’s way of mocking the peace efforts suggested by Trump’s team over a month ago.
Speaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, Sikorski said he hopes Trump and the US government realize that Russia’s leader is not taking their goodwill seriously, and he urged them to take action.
Ukrainian officials reported that two ballistic missiles struck the centre of Sumy on Sunday, killing at least 34 people, including two children, and injuring 119 others. This comes just over a week after another deadly missile hit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown, Kryvyi Rih, killing 20 people, including nine children.
Zelensky said one missile in Sumy hit university buildings, while the second exploded in the air above the streets. He called for stronger international sanctions to stop Russia’s war machine, saying only real pressure could make a difference.
Finland’s Foreign Minister, Elina Valtonen, pointed out that the attack happened shortly after Trump’s Ukraine envoy met with Putin in Saint Petersburg. She said the strike shows Russia doesn’t care about peace or human life.
France’s Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, agreed, saying Putin clearly isn’t interested in a ceasefire. He urged the EU to hit Russia with the toughest possible sanctions to stop its war funding.
The EU has already placed 16 rounds of sanctions on Russia and is working on a 17th, but it’s becoming harder to get everyone to agree because some measures also hurt European economies.
Germany’s soon-to-be chancellor, Friedrich Merz, called the Sumy strike a serious war crime. He repeated his support for sending Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine, something the current chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is against.
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Kestutis Budrys, backed Ukraine’s claim that Russia used cluster bombs in the attack, which would be a war crime. He said the attack insults everyone working to find a peaceful solution and shows why countries must stand together.
Meanwhile, Russia claimed it only targeted military officials meeting in Sumy, accusing Ukraine of putting civilians at risk by holding military talks in public areas. They said over 60 Ukrainian troops were killed, but didn’t provide any proof.
Trump commented on the attack, saying he thought it was terrible and had heard it was a mistake. He added that he’s still working on stopping the war altogether, calling the whole situation horrible.
