Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky singled out the United States for its “silence” after a Russian barrage of missiles and drones hit Kyiv early Sunday.
Ukraine’s capital city was targeted with 69 ballistic and cruise missiles and 298 drones on Sunday, the second large-scale attack on the country this weekend. At least 12 people were killed after the deadly assault on Kyiv, including three children, while dozens more were injured.
Following the deadly strikes, Zelensky took to X to express his displeasure with the international community’s response to the recent escalations from Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin.
“The world may go on a weekend break, but the war continues, regardless of weekends or weekdays. This cannot be ignored. Silence of America, silence of others around the world only encourage Putin,” the Ukrainian president posted.
Zelensky’s sharp rebuke of the U.S. came despite the Trump administration’s role as mediator in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
While U.S. officials had suggested over the past few weeks that they may step away from talks if a ceasefire deal is not achievable, President Donald Trump recently expressed more optimism after a prisoner swap between the two countries, musing that it “could lead to something big.”
Trump also spoke to both Putin and Zelensky separately over the phone last week. After the calls, he said that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War.”
Despite the optimism, Zelensky has urged more aggressive sanctions on Russia, something U.S. officials have seen as a nonstarter and which would derail any negotiations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated last week that “If you start threatening sanctions, the Russians will stop talking.”
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Ukraine appears to be moving on them, however.
Zelensky previewed three sanctions packages in a separate X post on Sunday afternoon. One of them targets “Russian individuals involved in financing Russian terrorist activities, financial manipulations, and sanctions evasion schemes that serve Russia’s interests,” while the other two target “propagandists whose lies fuel Russia’s attacks on Ukraine” and “members of Russian mafia groups who have significantly helped establish Putin’s regime and are still associated with it.”