Russia Launches Massive Ukraine Attacks After Trump Tells Putin To Stop
Russia has launched its largest wave of strikes on Ukraine since Thursday, when President Donald Trump urged his Russian counterpart to halt attacks on Moscow's neighbor, according to an independent investigative Russian news outlet.
Newsweek has reached out to the Kremlin for comment by email.
Trump is faltering in his efforts to broker peace talks to end the conflict. As Russia and Ukraine struggle to reach mutually acceptable terms, Trump has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop his attacks on the war-torn country and has expressed his disappointment in the leader for continuing military actions.
Russia attacked Ukraine's Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Donetsk, Sumy and Cherkasy regions with 149 drones on Sunday night. It marked the largest attack on the country since Trump urged Putin to stop military actions on Thursday, news site Agentstvo reported.
Of these drones, Ukraine's air defenses shot down 57, while 67 didn't reach their targets, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
Ukraine's military also launched drones into Russian territory. Russia's Defense Ministry said it intercepted and downed 115 drones over Russian land overnight-the majority over the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine.
Last week, Trump urged Putin to "STOP!" after his military launched an attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv, killing at least 12 people.
"I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying." Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!"
Trump's administration said that it would abandon diplomatic efforts to end the war if Russia and Ukraine didn't accept a Washington peace proposal soon.
Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 23 after Kyiv's leader said he wouldn't accept Russia's demands to legally recognize the annexation of Crimea. The Black Sea peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014, but is internationally recognized as Ukrainian.
"Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea," Zelensky told reporters on April 22. "It is against our constitution."
Trump and Zelensky met one-on-one at the Vatican on Saturday where talks went well.
After that meeting, Trump was asked by reporters if Zelensky might be willing to give up Crimea. The U.S. president responded: "Oh, I think so, yeah. Look, Crimea was 12 years ago."
Vice President JD Vance told reporters in India on April 23: "We have engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy and on-the-ground work. We really tried to understand things from the perspectives of both Ukrainians and Russians. I think that we put together a very fair proposal.
"It's time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process. The current lines, somewhere close to them is where you're ultimately, I think, going to draw the new lines in the conflict."
A meeting between Trump and Putin is being planned. The U.S. president has said he may meet with his Russian counterpart "shortly" after his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates in May.
Related Articles
Russian Nuclear Submarine Fires Kalibr Cruise Missile Over 1000kmKremlin 'Ready' for Ukraine Talks as Trump Criticizes Putin AgainKim Jong Un Breaks Silence on North Korean Troops Fighting for RussiaTrump Issues Ukraine-Russia Deal Deadline, 'Disappointed' in Putin
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
24 minutes ago
- UPI
NATO leaders propose 5% defense investment by member states
June 5 (UPI) -- NATO defense ministers are proposing a 5% annual investment in defense spending by member nations to enhance defensive capabilities during a meeting in Brussels on Thursday. The proposed defense investment plan would require member nations to invest 5% of their respective gross domestic products in defense, NATO officials announced. The change would make NATO a "stronger, fairer, more lethal alliance and ensure warfighting readiness for years to come," according to NATO. The ministers' plan describes "exactly what capabilities allies need to invest over their coming years ... to keep our deterrence and defense strong and our one billion people safe," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said. U.S. supports increased NATO member spending Many NATO members currently spend about 2% of their respective GDPs, which President Donald Trump has said is insufficient. The 5% defense investment by NATO member states is virtually assured, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told media upon arriving for Thursday's meeting. "We're here to continue the work that President Trump started, which is a commitment to 5% defense spending across this alliance, which we think will happen," Hegseth said. "There are a few countries that are not quite there yet," Hegseth added. "I won't name any names, [but] we will get them there." If approved during the upcoming NATO Summit, defense investments would require respective member nations to spend equal to 3.5% of GDP on core defense spending, plus 1.5% in annual defense and security investments, including infrastructure. The two-day NATO Summit is scheduled to start on June 24 at The Hague. Ukraine support and nuclear deterrence An ad hoc NATO-Ukraine Council also met and reaffirmed NATO's support of Ukraine and agreed that nuclear deterrence is its primary goal. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and European Union Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Minister Kaja Kallas joined the council to discuss support for Ukraine. Rutte said NATO allies have pledged nearly $23 billion in security assistance for Ukraine in 2025 and are focused on preventing the use of nuclear weapons by Russia and other nations. The final meeting of NATO ministers during the summit also affirmed the alliance's focus on nuclear deterrence. "Nuclear deterrence remains the cornerstone of alliance security," Rutte said. "We will ensure that NATO's nuclear capability remains strong and effective in order to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression." Trump nominates U.S. general for NATO commander Trump also nominated U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich to lead combined U.S. and NATO forces in Europe. If approved during the NATO Summit, Grynkewich would become NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of the U.S. European Command. Trump is scheduled to attend the NATO Summit. If approved by NATO member states, Grynkewich would replace current Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Chris Cavoli. Grynkewich is an experienced fighter pilot, and his nomination affirms that the United States would continue to emphasize defensive security for Europe. A U.S. officer has been NATO's supreme allied commander since Gen. Dwight Eisenhower first held the post in 1951.
Chicago Tribune
24 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Donald Trump and Elon Musk's relationship flames out
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump and Elon Musk's alliance took off like one of SpaceX's rockets. It was supercharged and soared high. And then it blew up. The spectacular flameout Thursday hit a crescendo when Trump threatened to cut Musk's government contracts and Musk said without providing evidence that Trump's administration hasn't released all the records related to sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein because Trump is mentioned in them. The messy blow-up between the president of the United States and the world's richest man played out on their respective social media platforms after Trump was asked during a White House meeting with Germany's new leader about Musk's criticism of his spending bill. It came less than a week after they appeared together at the White House for a subdued goodbye and Trump thanked Musk for his brief time in the U.S. government by handing him a symbolic but nonfunctional golden key. Trump had largely remained silent as Musk stewed over the last few days on his social media platform X, condemning the president's so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill.' But Trump clapped back Thursday in the Oval Office, saying he was 'very disappointed in Musk.' Musk responded on social media in real time. Trump, who was supposed to be spending Thursday discussing an end to the Russia-Ukraine war with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, ratcheted up the stakes when he turned to his own social media network, Truth Social, and threatened to use the U.S. government to hurt Musk's bottom line by going after contracts held by his internet company Starlink and rocket company SpaceX. 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,' Trump wrote on his social media network. 'This just gets better and better,' Musk quickly replied on X. 'Go ahead, make my day.' Musk then said, without offering evidence of how he might know the information, that Trump was 'in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!' The insinuation tapped into long-standing suspicions among conspiracy theorists and online sleuths that incriminating and sensitive files in the government's possession have yet to be released. The deepening rift unfurled much like their relationship started — rapidly, intensely and very publicly. It also quickly hit Musk financially, even before Trump's threat. After Trump started speaking about Musk, shares of his electric vehicle company Tesla fell over 10%, their latest notable move since the election. The shares doubled in the weeks after Trump was elected, gave back those gains and more during Musk's time at DOGE and then rallied after he vowed in April to focus much more on Tesla and his other companies. Politicians and their donor patrons rarely see eye to eye. But the magnitude of Musk's support for Trump, spending at least $250 million backing his campaign, and the scope of free rein the president gave him to slash and delve into the government with the Department of Government Efficiency is eclipsed only by the speed of their falling-out. Musk offered up an especially stinging insult to a president sensitive about his standing among voters: 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election,' Musk retorted. 'Such ingratitude,' Musk said in a follow-up post. Musk announced his support for Trump shortly after the then-candidate was nearly assassinated on stage at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally last July. News of Musk's political action committee in support of Trump's election came days later. Musk soon became a close adviser and frequent companion, memorably leaping in the air behind Trump on stage at a rally in October. Once Trump was elected, the tech billionaire stood behind him as he took the oath of office, flew with him on Air Force One for weekend stays at Mar-a-Lago, slept in the White House's Lincoln Bedroom and joined his Cabinet meetings wearing a MAGA hat (sometimes more than one). Three months ago, Trump purchased a red Tesla from Musk on the White House driveway as a public show of support for his business as it faced blowback. Musk bid farewell to Trump last week in a somewhat somber news conference in the Oval Office, where he sported a black eye that he said came from his young son but that seemed to be a metaphor for his messy time in government service. Trump, who rarely misses an opportunity to zing his critics on appearance, brought it up Thursday. 'I said, 'Do you want a little makeup? We'll get you a little makeup.' Which is interesting,' Trump said. The Republican president's comments came as Musk has griped for days on social media about Trump's spending bill, warning that it will increase the federal deficit. Musk has called the bill a 'disgusting abomination.' 'He hasn't said bad about me personally, but I'm sure that will be next,' Trump said Thursday in the Oval Office, presaging his future. 'But I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot.' Trump later said on social media that 'Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave.' Musk's government employment status, however, limited him from continuing to work. 'He just went CRAZY!' Trump said. Observers had long wondered if the friendship between the two brash billionaires known for lobbing insults online would flame out in spectacular fashion. It did, in less than a year. Trump said Thursday that he and Musk had had a great relationship but mused: 'I don't know if we will anymore.' He said some people who leave his administration 'miss it so badly' and 'actually become hostile.' 'It's sort of Trump derangement syndrome, I guess they call it,' he said. He brushed aside the billionaire's efforts to get him elected last year, including a $1 million-a-day voter sweepstakes in Pennsylvania. The surge of cash Musk showed he was willing to spend seemed to set him up as a highly coveted ally for Republicans going forward, but his split with Trump, the party's leader, raises questions about whether they or any others will see such a campaign windfall in the future. Trump said Musk 'only developed a problem' with the bill because it rolls back tax credits for electric vehicles. 'False,' Musk fired back on his social media platform as the president continued speaking. 'This bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!' In another post, he said Trump could keep the spending cuts but 'ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill.' Besides Musk being 'disturbed' by the electric vehicle tax credits, Trump said another point of contention was Musk's promotion of Jared Isaacman to run NASA. Trump withdrew Isaacman's nomination over the weekend, days after Musk left his government role. 'I didn't think it was appropriate,' Trump said Thursday, calling Isaacman 'totally a Democrat.' Musk continued slinging his responses on social media. He shared some posts Trump made over a decade ago criticizing Republicans for their spending, musings made when he, too, was just a billionaire lobbing his thoughts on social media. 'Where is the man who wrote these words?' Musk wrote. 'Was he replaced by a body double!?'
Buzz Feed
28 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
Elon Musk Tweets That Trump Is In Epstein Files
THE GIRLS ARE FIGHTING — and by the girls, I mean President Donald Trump and his former advisor, Elon Musk. To catch you up, Musk has been on a tirade against Trump's championed "One Big, Beautiful Bill..." Trump is referring to the bill's call to eliminate tax credits for electric vehicles — an industry in which Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla, is heavily involved. Well, Musk shot back with a series of tweets where he refers to Trump's words as a show of "ingratitude," saying, "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate." And it didn't end there! With the apparent ball in Trump's court, he took to Truth Social and threatened to "terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts." Which lead to this moment: Yes, Elon Musk claimed that Trump "is in the Epstein files," and "that is the real reason they have not been made public." The "Epstein files" are, of course, a reference to the US government's documentation on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has previously denied connections to Epstein. Last year, he wrote on Truth Social: "I was never on Epstein's Plane, or at his 'stupid' Island. Strong Laws ought to be developed against A.I. It will be a big and very dangerous problem in the future." BuzzFeed reached out to the White House for comment. We'll update you if we hear back. Well! That catches you up to this afternoon. Who knows what tonight will entail.
