Just hours after Donald Trump publicly said Russia should be allowed back into the G8 group of powerful nations, Russian missiles and drones hit Kyiv and several other Ukrainian cities. One of the people killed in the attacks was an American citizen.
Trump made the comments while speaking at the G7 summit in Canada, where he claimed it was a mistake to remove Russia from the G8 after it invaded Crimea in 2014. He said that if Russia had still been part of the group, the war in Ukraine might never have happened. Trump also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin still talks to him and no other world leader, and that he could end the war in Ukraine in just one day if re-elected.
Soon after Trump’s remarks, Russia carried out one of the deadliest attacks on Kyiv this year. Around 175 drones, 14 cruise missiles, and at least two ballistic missiles hit neighborhoods across the city. Many buildings were destroyed or badly damaged. The head of Kyiv’s military administration confirmed the scale of the assault in a statement on Telegram.
One of the victims was a 62-year-old American who lived in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district. He was confirmed dead at the scene. The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, shared this information but did not give more details.
Other Ukrainian regions were also hit that night, including Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, and Mykolaiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Putin continues the war simply because he can. He criticized world leaders who ignore these attacks, saying that innocent civilians are suffering while those responsible are not being held accountable.
Trump also suggested he might not support more sanctions against Russia unless they agree to a 30-day ceasefire, claiming sanctions cost the U.S. a lot of money.
He left the G7 meeting early due to rising tensions in the Middle East and will miss a scheduled discussion about Ukraine, where Zelensky is expected to speak.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to questions about the American killed in Kyiv.
