Trump Warns Putin of ⁣Severe Sanctions as Kyiv Reels from Deadly Attacks

Washington D.C. – U.S. President Donald ⁢Trump has issued a stark warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin, threatening severe ⁤economic sanctions‍ if Moscow does not cease its offensive in Ukraine.The ultimatum comes as Ukraine ⁤grapples wiht the aftermath of a devastating predawn drone and missile ‍assault on its capital, Kyiv, which claimed numerous lives.

Trump ‍reiterated his deadline on Thursday, expressing a degree of skepticism about the efficacy of sanctions on Putin. “We’re going to put sanctions.I don’t know that sanctions bother him,” the U.S. president remarked, referring to his Russian counterpart. He has previously hinted at the ‍possibility of “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s key trading‍ partners, including ‍China and India, a move that could ⁢further isolate Russia but also risk significant global economic disruption.

The U.S. president, ⁤now in his second term, began with optimistic predictions that the war, which erupted following Russia’s full-scale invasion in february ⁢2022, would soon ⁢conclude. However, in recent weeks, Trump has voiced increasing⁣ frustration with ⁢Putin over the relentless nature of Moscow’s offensive.

Kyiv Urges ‘Regime Change’ in Russia Amidst Escalating Violence

In ⁤a powerful address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr⁣ Zelenskyy urged⁢ allies ‍to⁢ pursue “regime⁢ change” in Russia, speaking just hours after the⁤ deadly attack on⁤ Kyiv. Addressing a conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Cold‍ War-era Helsinki Accords, Zelenskyy conveyed his belief that Russia could be compelled to halt the conflict.

“But if the world doesn’t aim to change the regime in⁣ Russia, that means even after the war ends, Moscow will⁣ still ‍try to destabilise⁢ neighbouring countries,” he stated, underscoring his conviction that lasting peace ⁣requires a basic shift within Russia itself.

Devastating attacks‍ Leave Kyiv in mourning

The⁢ predawn Russian attacks on thursday inflicted a⁣ heavy toll on Kyiv. Ukraine’s interior ministry reported on Friday that 26 peopel⁣ were killed, including three children, with 159 others injured. Earlier reports on ‍Thursday had indicated at least 18 fatalities,with⁣ a nine-storey apartment block in the city’s western suburbs reduced to rubble.

Among the tragic victims was a six-year-old boy who succumbed to his injuries en route ⁤to the hospital,⁤ as confirmed by Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the city’s ‍military governance, via Telegram.

The Ukrainian ⁣air force stated that from late Wednesday to early Thursday, Russia launched at least 300 drones and⁤ eight cruise missiles, with Kyiv bearing the brunt of the ⁣assault. President Zelenskyy late Thursday condemned the strikes as an⁤ “unimaginable scale of terror and brutality.”

Simultaneously occurring, the Russian army announced its⁢ capture of Chasiv Yar, a strategically ⁢vital hillside town in eastern Ukraine⁣ that has been⁢ the scene of intense fighting for months. Moscow has ⁤intensified ⁤its deadly ⁣aerial assaults on Ukraine in⁢ recent months, demonstrating a continued resistance to international pressure to end its nearly three-and-a-half-year invasion as its‍ forces press forward on the battlefield.