Russia Kills 2 in Kyiv Ahead of U.S. Talks: Russia has once again inflicted a major overnight assault on Kyiv.
The attack, which involved some 18 missiles and 400 drones, killed two people and injured dozens more.
Ukraine Attack Ahead of Major Meeting
The onslaught arrived just hours before a high-level diplomatic meeting in Malaysia between the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey amid flailing cease-fire talks.
“This is a clear escalation of terror by Russia,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who condemned the assault as a brutal and deliberate provocation. The attacks reportedly struck residential areas, warehouses, and even a hospital in Kyiv’s Podil district. Officials described blazes across at least six neighborhoods.
Later that day, Zelensky appeared at a postwar reconstruction summit in Rome, urging European leaders not to be deterred by the violence. “Ukrainians now face attacks by hundreds of these drones every single night,” he said.
The message was clear: Ukraine’s security and reconstruction are inseparable, and both need serious investment.
EU Offers New Funding
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded by announcing a new $250 million equity fund backed by the EU and several member states. While welcome, it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the World Bank’s estimated $500 billion needed for rebuilding Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the U.S. finds itself walking a tightrope. President Trump, who has long expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin and skepticism about Ukraine aid, is now striking a different tone. “We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin,” Trump said during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, adding that the Russian president’s gestures of friendliness had proven “meaningless.”
Washington U-turns on Weapons to Ukraine
Trump’s comments were made following his vow to continue weapons transfers to Ukraine. This walked back Washington’s temporary halt on arms weapons a mere week prior. Speaking in the wake of his summit with Lavrov, Rubio echoed the president’s fury but said dialogue would continue- without revealing if any breakthroughs had been reached.
Russia’s foreign ministry described the Rubio-Lavrov meeting as a “substantive and frank exchange,” but withheld further detail — a familiar diplomatic euphemism for stalemate.
The Ukraine War Keeps Going
In the meantime, the war grinds on. Thursday’s bombardment was not just another military strike, but a signal from Moscow that peace is nowhere on the horizon.
With drone swarms lighting up the night sky and diplomatic channels yielding little, Ukraine’s allies must now decide whether rhetoric alone will suffice.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
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