The roar of air raid sirens echoed across the Ukrainian capital just hours before President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were set to meet and discuss the peace summit involving Ukraine and Russia. Russia’s attack on Kyiv was unexpected and it raised eyebrows as it happened amid the ongoing peace talks to end the war.
The timing of the assault suggests a deliberate attempt by the Kremlin to undermine the legitimacy of upcoming discussions. The massive wave of at least 500 drones and 40 missiles is being widely interpreted as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s violent and contemptuous response to Trump’s repeated boasts that he could end the war ‘within 24 hours.’
Why Russia Launches Pre-Summit Blitz on Kyiv
In the early hours of Saturday, Moscow directed a massive wave of drones and missiles toward Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. This high-intensity bombardment raised eyebrows because Russia made the attack shortly before Zelenskyy and Trump were about to discuss ending the conflict between the two nations.
Military analysts suggest that the scale of this operation was designed to project Russian strength before any formal negotiations begin.
Joey Contino, news creator at Premiere Networks, weighed in on Russia’s recent attack on Ukraine, and he was convinced that there was a motive behind it, and that’s to ‘stall’ things.
‘They actually want the war to continue cause they feel like if they keep beating down Ukraine, then Ukraine’s partners will give up on Ukraine,’ Contino claims on TikTok. ‘And then Russia can get everything they want and more.’
The physical destruction in Kyiv was accompanied by a tragic loss of life that has sparked fresh international condemnation. Local authorities confirmed that at least one person died, a 47-year-old woman, and 22 individuals sustained injuries during the strikes, Al Jazeera reported.
According to Zelenskyy, Russia reportedly targeted ‘energy facilities and civilian infrastructure.’ The Ukrainian president told the press on Saturday that ‘Russia doesn’t want peace,’ BBC reported.
Trump’s Diplomatic Gamble and the Leaders’ Responses
Donald Trump has positioned himself as the peacemaker between Russia and Ukraine. Even before his reelection, Trump has been open in wanting to end the conflict between the two countries, and he made it sound like it was so easy for him.
‘We will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled. It will be settled. The war is going to be settled,’ Trump said during the Pennsylvania rally in 2023. ‘I’ll get them both – I know Zelensky, I know Putin, it’ll be done within 24 hours, you watch. They all say, “That’s such a boast.” It will be done very quickly.’
Prior to his meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump was optimistic that the war could end soon. The US President told Politico ‘I think it’s going to go good with [Vladimir] Putin.’ Trump was set to meet Zelenskyy and hear the latter’s 20-point peace plan, which includes a demilitarised zone and key conditions, such as Russia’s withdrawal of its forces from Donetsk.
However, Putin has seemingly publicly belittled the initiative, mocking the feasibility of a quick resolution with its recent attack on Kyiv. In February, Trump claimed he spoke with Putin, who agreed to negotiate with Zelenskyy. Both leaders reportedly share the same sentiment about ending the war.
It seemed that Putin had a change of heart, or maybe didn’t agree with the peace summit after all, and Zelenskyy got the message.
