Trump Urges Putin to ‘STOP’ After Fatal Strikes on Kyiv

Former President Donald Trump publicly called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt military strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine, as the U.S. continues its efforts to broker a peace agreement between the two nations.

“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the peace deal DONE,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

The latest assault on Ukraine's capital killed at least 10 people and injured more than 90, including children, according to Ukrainian officials and a report from Fox News.

During Easter weekend, Trump voiced hope that a peace resolution could be achieved soon, suggesting that such an agreement would open the door for both Russia and Ukraine to “start to do big business with the United States of America…”

In another Truth Social message dated April 11, Trump urged Russia “to get moving” on ending the conflict. He expressed frustration over the prolonged war, calling it “senseless” and pointing out that “too many people are dying.”

Officials from Trump’s administration have characterized their talks with Putin as constructive, but a formal peace deal has yet to materialize since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022.

Some high-ranking members of the administration have recently suggested the U.S. may consider stepping back from its role in the peace process if Ukraine and Russia don’t show clear signs of progress.

Vice President JD Vance delivered a stark message on Wednesday, signaling a possible U.S. withdrawal from mediation efforts if no agreement is reached.

“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the U.S. to walk away from this process. We’ve engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy, of on-the-ground work,” Vance told reporters.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed those sentiments earlier this month, warning that U.S. patience is wearing thin.

“We’re not going to continue with this endeavor for weeks and months on end. So we need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days, whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks,” Rubio said during a press conference in Paris after discussions with European and Ukrainian leaders.

“If it’s not possible, if we’re so far apart that this is not going to happen, then I think the president is probably at a point where he’s going to say, ‘well, we’re done,’” Rubio added, according to Reuters.

Trump later agreed with Rubio’s assessment, saying, “Marco’s right in saying … we want to see it end.” When asked whether Putin was intentionally delaying the process, Trump responded, “I hope not.”

The former president also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling one of his recent statements “inflammatory” and “very harmful” to the peace efforts.

Zelenskyy had reiterated that Ukraine would never acknowledge Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Trump dismissed this position, claiming the topic was “not even up for discussion.”

In a separate Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump referred to Zelenskyy as “the man with no cards to play,” a reference to their tense meeting in February where Trump reportedly told the Ukrainian leader he lacked leverage in the negotiations.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said some headway has been made toward a peace agreement, though communication with Washington has been “difficult,” Reuters reported.

Peskov also stated that Russia is committed to ending the conflict while protecting its national interests and remains open to discussions with the U.S.