Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized remarks from President Donald Trump, who called a deadly Russian ballistic missile attack on the major Ukrainian city of Sumy a “mistake.”
The Context
Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday that Russia launched two ballistic missiles at the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy as residents attended church services marking Palm Sunday, killing at least 35 people and injuring at least 129 others.
The broader Sumy region borders Russia, and Kyiv has warned Moscow is preparing a new offensive into Sumy and the neighboring Kharkiv region.
It was the second large-scale ballistic missile attack on a major Ukrainian city this month, after Moscow targeted Zelensky’s home city of Kryvyi Rih on April 4 in strikes that killed 20 people.
Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP
What To Know
Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday evening he thought the strike was “terrible,” adding: “I was told they made a mistake, but I think it’s a horrible thing.”
When probed on what he meant by the term “mistake,” Trump said: “They made a mistake. I believe it was—look, you got to ask them.” He did not elaborate further.
Zelensky told a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday that “we cannot find excuses when you hit the city center with missiles.”
An attack with multiple missiles is “not a mistake,” but “murder,” the Ukrainian president said, in remarks reported by Ukrainian media.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had used two Iskander-M short-range ballistic missiles to hit a group of gathered Ukrainian military personnel, killing more than 60 soldiers.
Zelensky said on Monday that “nearly 50 countries and international organizations” had expressed support for Kyiv following the strikes on Sumy.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the attack as “barbaric” and “vile,” and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was “deeply horrified.”
Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that the U.S. told other members of the G7 grouping of major economies it would not support a statement condemning the Sumy strikes to avoid derailing ceasefire negotiations with Moscow.
Several of Ukraine’s allies had said in individual statements that the strikes showed Russia was prolonging the war.
Ukraine agreed to a U.S.-proposed full ceasefire to last 30 days in March. Russia, despite three visits by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, has refused to agree to the deal, and only consented to a partial ceasefire in the Black Sea in exchange for sanctions relief. This partial ceasefire has not come into force.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday the Trump administration was evaluating whether it will be able to broker a ceasefire deal with Russia, adding it will come to a decision on whether to abandon talks in “a matter of days.”
Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Russia, remarking he believed Russian officials were “dragging their feet,” but has still maintained a softer tone towards the Kremlin compared to remarks levied at Kyiv.
Zelensky had warned in his evening address on Wednesday that Kyiv had “the means to respond to such strikes.”
“We have every right to do this, it is absolutely just—to respond to the killers as they deserve,” he added.
Rubio said in a statement the Russian attack on Sumy was “horrifying,” adding: “This is a tragic reminder of why President Trump and his Administration are putting so much time and effort into trying to end this war and achieve a just and durable peace.”
What People Are Saying
Zelensky said on Thursday: “Excuse me, but this is a murder.”
Keith Kellogg, Trump’s Ukraine and Russia envoy, said in a statement on Sunday: “As a former military leader, I understand targeting and this is wrong. It is why President Trump is working hard to end this war.”
What Happens Next
The U.S. will continue its efforts to secure a full ceasefire deal with Russia, although it is not clear how quickly the Trump administration will be able to secure Moscow’s consent to stopping the fighting.