Putin Threatens ‘By Force’ Push in Ukraine After Massive Kyiv Attack, Ahead of Trump–Zelensky Meet

International

oi-Ashish Rana

Russian
President
Vladimir
Putin
has
issued
a
stark
warning
that
Moscow
could
pursue
its
military
objectives
in
Ukraine
by
force
if
Kyiv
refuses
to
engage
in
a
peaceful
settlement,
as
diplomatic
focus
intensifies
ahead
of
talks
between
Ukrainian
President
Volodymyr
Zelensky
and
former
US
President
Donald
Trump.

Putin’s
comments
come
amid
a
renewed
escalation
on
the
battlefield
and
growing
international
scrutiny
over
Russia’s
intentions,
particularly
following
one
of
the
heaviest
recent
attacks
on
Ukraine’s
capital.

Russia
signals
no
compromise
without
talks

Speaking
through
Russia’s
state
news
agency
TASS,
Putin
said
Moscow
believed
Ukraine
was
deliberately
delaying
a
negotiated
end
to
the
war.
According
to
Reuters,
he
warned
that
Russia
would
act
unilaterally
if
diplomacy
failed.

“If
Ukraine
does
not
want
to
resolve
the
conflict
peacefully,
Russia
would
resolve
all
goals
of
its
‘special
military
operation’
by
force,” Putin
was
quoted
as
saying.

The
Russian
leader’s
remarks
underline
Moscow’s
hardened
position
as
the
conflict
nears
its
fourth
year,
with
no
ceasefire
framework
currently
in
place.

Kyiv
hit
by
major
overnight
attack

Putin’s
statement
followed
a
large-scale
Russian
assault
on
Kyiv
and
nearby
regions.
Ukraine
reported
that
around
500
drones
and
40
missiles
were
launched
during
early
morning
hours,
killing
at
least
one
person
and
injuring
around
27
others.

Ukrainian
officials
said
the
bombardment
lasted
nearly
10
hours,
marking
one
of
the
most
sustained
attacks
on
the
capital
in
recent
months
and
causing
damage
across
multiple
residential
areas.

Zelensky
calls
strike
Russia’s
response
to
peace
efforts

Ukrainian
President
Volodymyr
Zelensky
described
the
attack
as
a
direct
rejection
of
diplomatic
initiatives
aimed
at
ending
the
war.

Zelensky
said
the
prolonged
assault
on
Kyiv
and
surrounding
regions
was
“Russia’s
answer
to
our
peace
efforts”.

The
Ukrainian
leader
is
scheduled
to
meet
Donald
Trump
in
Florida
on
Sunday.
The
discussions
are
expected
to
centre
on
security
guarantees
for
Ukraine
and
unresolved
territorial
issues
in
the
Donetsk
and
Zaporizhzhia
regions.

Canada
condemns
attack,
announces
fresh
aid

Canadian
Prime
Minister
Mark
Carney
also
reacted
strongly
to
the
latest
strike,
saying
that
lasting
peace
would
require
cooperation
from
Moscow.

“We
have
the
conditions…
of
a
just
and
lasting
peace,
but
that
requires
a
willing
Russia,
and
the
barbarism
that
we
saw
overnight…
shows
just
how
important
it
is
that
we
stand
with
Ukraine,” AFP
quoted
Carney
as
saying
during
a
stop
in
Halifax,
Nova
Scotia,
while
travelling
to
Florida
to
meet
Trump.

Carney
announced
new
economic
assistance
worth
CAN$2.5
billion,
or
about
US$1.82
billion,
for
Ukraine.
He
said
the
funds
would
help
unlock
international
financing
“to
begin
this
process
of
rebuilding”
the
country
even
as
fighting
continues.

“And
this
really
showed
that
Putin
doesn’t
want
peace,
and
we
want
peace,” he
added.