‘Vladimir, stop!’ Trump criticises Putin over attack on Kyiv – Europe live
By Guardian-Jakub Krupa-Thu 24 Apr 2025 15.00 BST
US president says he is ‘not happy’ with Russian attack and criticises the ‘very bad timing’
Key events onlyFrom 2h ago13.29 BST
'Vladimir, STOP!', Trump demands, as he says he's 'not happy' with 'not necessary' Russian strikes on Kyiv
US president Donald Trump has just responded to the overnight attacks on Kyiv, saying he is “not happy,” and calling them “not necessary” and criticising “very bad timing”.
In a social media post, he said:
I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!
Share3m ago15.00 BST
'US anger should be directed at ... Putin," Macron says, as he urged Russian leader to 'stop lying'
We now have more lines from Emmanuel Macron (14:27).
The French president said Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin needed to “stop lying” over wanting peace in Ukraine while continuing to strike the country, he said in comments reported by the AFP.
“The only thing to do is for President Putin to finally stop lying,” Macron said during a visit to Madagascar.
He accused the Russian leader of telling US negotiators “he wants peace” but then continuing “to bombard Ukraine”.
“In Ukraine, they only want a single answer: Does President Putin agree to an unconditional ceasefire?” Macron said.
Macron said Putin was the only person holding up the US-proposed and European-backed proposal.
“If President Putin says yes, the weapons will fall silent tomorrow, lives will be saved.”
“US anger should be directed at only one person, President Putin,” he added.
Zelenskyy calls for more pressure on Russia after massive Kyiv attack – video
You can watch Zelenskyy’s comments from Pretoria earlier in this short clip.
Share2h ago13.29 BST
'Vladimir, STOP!', Trump demands, as he says he's 'not happy' with 'not necessary' Russian strikes on Kyiv
US president Donald Trump has just responded to the overnight attacks on Kyiv, saying he is “not happy,” and calling them “not necessary” and criticising “very bad timing”.
In a social media post, he said:
I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!
Share2h ago13.27 BST
Zelenskyy cannot be expected to accept ceasefire while Kyiv is bombarded, Macron says
French president Emmanuel Macron has also expressed his support for Ukraine and the country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, despite mounting pressure from the US.
Reuters said that speaking during a visit to Madagascar, he told reporters that one cannot expect Zelenskyy to accept ceasefire terms while Kyiv, the country’s capital, is being bombarded.Share2h ago12.45 BST
Zelenskyy's press conference with SA's Ramaphosa - snap analysis
Rachel Savage
The atmosphere at Zelenskyy’s joint press conference with President Cyril Ramaphosa was mostly serious, perhaps paying heed to the loss of life in Ukraine overnight.
It warmed up towards the end of the question and answer session, when Zelenskyy switched from Ukrainian to English to joke with Ramaphosa about whether he had managed to answer the multiple questions posed by journalists.
Zelenskyy refused to be drawn on what Ukraine was willing to compromise on, returning again and again to the need for more pressure on Russia to agree to a comprehensive, unconditional ceasefire.
Ramaphosa was more cautious in his language, calling on “both parties” to agree to a ceasefire and saying the war had negatively affected both Russia and Ukraine. However, he later said that Ukraine should be commended for agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire, saying it was “a positive signal that should be embraced.”
Share2h ago12.44 BST
Let’s quickly go to our Southern Africa correspondent Rachel Savage for her take on this press conference.
Share2h ago12.40 BST
'Clear message from Kremlin: Russia has no real interest in peace,' Danish PM says
In the last half hour, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen also reacted to the overnight strikes on Kyiv, saying in her social media that the strikes sent “a clear message from Kremlin: Russia has no real interest in peace.”
Here is what she said:
“Kyiv was brutally attacked by Russia again last night.
A clear message from the Kremlin: Russia has no real interest in peace.
Peace cannot be negotiated under fire. Denmark stands with Ukraine against this brutality.”
Share3h ago12.34 BST
Closing the press conference, South Africa’s Ramaphosa highlights the Ukrainian willingness to talk about an unconditional ceasefire, which he says could be “a key ingredient in a negotiation process.”
He gets asked about the US threat to withdraw from the peace process, and says that “it is for the US to decide on the role they want to play,” but adds “we believe the US has an important role to play, as does Europe,” and others, like China and Brazil.
And that concludes their press conference, with Zelenskyy confirming earlier that he will cut the visit short to return to Ukraine, with foreign ministry officials picking up the rest of the programme.
Share3h ago12.30 BST
Not enough strong pressure on Russia, Ukraine's Zelenskyy says
Responding to another round of questions, Zelenskyy stresses once again that Ukraine, unlike Russia, agreed to president Trump’s request for an unconditional ceasefire.
He says that Ukraine has done as much as possible to progress in talks with the US by signing a memorandum on minerals, after removing provisions that would contradict its constitution.
He says Ukraine does not “see strong pressure on Russia now” nor new sanctions against Moscow, despite its unwillingness to progress the talks.
“We believe that with greater pressure on the Russian Federation, we will be able to bring our sides closer,” he says.
He adds that any further compromises can be discussed once the ceasefire is agreed.
But he notes that after over three years of fighting a war of aggression with thousands killed, the willingness to sit down for talks with the aggressor is already a compromise.
The Ukrainian president says that agreeing to the ceasefire would demonstrate “political goodwill” from all sides.
He repeats that Ukraine’s focus is on ending the war, and stresses the importance of returning the Ukrainian children abducted by Russia back home.
Zelenskyy also specifically calls on the US to play a substantial role in guaranteeing peace as he says that the outcome of London talks should be now on president Trump’s desk for consideration.
ShareUpdated at 12.42 BST3h ago12.15 BST
In his responses, South Africa’s Ramaphosa sticks to his earlier lines, calling for a diplomatic and negotiated solution to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
He also says that “the world as a whole is ready to act as guarantors” of peace, adding that both South Africa and other African leaders “would be willing to play that positive role as well.”
“All wars do come to an end, and it depends at what stage they come to an end, and we say it should be sooner rather than later, because the continuation of this war continues to wreak havoc, destruction of lives, infrastructure, economies of both countries,” he says.
Share3h ago12.11 BST
Russia seeks to put pressure, isolate Ukraine, Zelenskyy warns, as he thanks for 'not easy, but constructive' London talks
Responding to questions, Zelenskyy also says that while he wouldn’t associate the attack with his visit to South Africa, he believes that “Putin does not like Ukraine’s presence” in Africa, as it wants it to block from having normal relations with other states.
He says Russia seeks to put pressure on Ukraine and the US in the peace process, as he describes yesterday’s talks in London as “not easy, but constructive.”
“[The meeting] ended not with disagreements, but with a will to work further,” he says, adding that Russia must have been hoping for “a big scandal,” as he dismisses some later comments – presumably Trump’s burst overnight – as “emotions.”
He says Russia hopes to isolate Ukraine to make it an easier target, but notes that “even in the first days of the war, when we were almost alone, we were able to hold up,” and Ukraine is now “much stronger.”
He returns to his main message:
“If Russia declares that it is ready for a ceasefire, they need to stop the strikes on Ukraine.”
Jacub Crupa
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