President Donald Trump broke his usual restraint toward Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, issuing a stern rebuke after Russia launched its deadliest assault on Ukraine in nearly a year.
The overnight barrage on Kyiv killed at least nine and wounded more than 70, prompting Trump to demand an immediate end to the violence.
“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE!”
The rare public criticism of Putin marks a shift in tone from Trump, who has been pushing for a cease-fire and peace negotiations in the region.
Trump has maintained that he could bring the war to an end swiftly if given the chance, but Thursday’s escalation cast doubt on that prospect.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the Russian missile and drone assault “one of the most outrageous” attacks since last July and took aim at Russia’s repeated rejection of Trump’s peace proposal, which has reportedly been on the table for more than six weeks.
“This was a proposal from the United States,” Zelensky said. “And it has been 44 days of Russia continuing to kill our people and evading tough pressure and accountability for its actions.”
Despite the continued bloodshed, Trump maintained earlier in the week that Moscow was ready to make peace, though he did not offer evidence for the claim. Still, some in the administration are signaling that the path to resolution may not be so simple.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed cautious optimism but admitted the talks may fall short. “We have a better understanding of the Russian position now — because we’ve actually spoken to them after three years of not speaking to them — what is the Ukrainian position, and figure out, ‘are these guys even in the same neighborhood because of their completely different zip codes?’” Rubio said.
He warned that the gap between the two sides could be too wide to bridge. “Then, we may have to conclude that they’re so far apart that peace is impossible at this time,” he added.
Nevertheless, Rubio echoed Trump’s urgency in trying to stop the conflict. “We can be successful, but ultimately it’s not up to us. It’s up to Russia, and it’s up to Ukraine,” he said. “They have to make the decision that they’re willing to move closer to one another, and we need to start to see progress.”
Trump’s call to end the violence underscores his campaign’s growing focus on foreign policy and positions him as the only major U.S. leader actively demanding de-escalation in Eastern Europe — a message likely to resonate with voters exhausted by endless foreign entanglements.