A recent broad attack by Russia struck multiple Ukrainian targets, including power plants and a kindergarten, resulting in six fatalities. This intense assault occurred mere hours after President Trump announced the postponement of a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, aiming to prevent a ‘wasted’ diplomatic effort to end the ongoing conflict.
President Trump had initially revealed late last week his intention to meet with Putin in Hungary for peace discussions. However, following internal talks between American and Russian officials on Tuesday, the White House confirmed that no summit would take place ‘in the immediate future.’
The Trump administration’s decision to delay the meeting came after Russian officials reaffirmed their unwavering maximalist demands for Ukraine, once again rejecting a proposed ceasefire that would freeze the existing front lines.
On Wednesday, harrowing video footage shared by officials on social media depicted emergency responders evacuating young children from a blazing kindergarten in Kharkiv, a city in northeastern Ukraine. The strike on the facility tragically killed one person and injured several others.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that these overnight assaults clearly indicate Russia’s reluctance to engage in meaningful dialogue or cease hostilities, suggesting Moscow ‘clearly doesn’t feel enough pressure to stop prolonging the war.’
The extensive Russian barrage led to nationwide power restrictions for industrial users and prompted emergency blackouts for civilians across several regions, including the capital, Kyiv. This pattern of major Russian attacks following significant diplomatic moments with the Trump administration has been observed before. Additionally, the Kremlin announced on Wednesday that Russia conducted nuclear weapons drills, including test launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
President Zelensky had emphasized on Tuesday that Ukraine’s need for more long-range weaponry was critical to gaining leverage over Moscow and compelling an end to the invasion. His meeting with Mr. Trump at the White House last Friday concluded without a deal for the American long-range missiles Ukraine sought.
Despite publicly supporting Mr. Trump’s peace efforts, Ukrainian officials have consistently maintained that Russia will only cease its aggression if Kyiv possesses sufficient retaliatory capabilities.
Ukrainian analysts expressed cautious optimism that Mr. Trump might be starting to recognize Mr. Putin’s strategy of drawing out negotiations with high-profile meetings that yield minimal results. Russian officials had initially welcomed the proposal for a Budapest summit after Mr. Trump’s call with Mr. Putin last Thursday, a day prior to his meeting with Mr. Zelensky.
Mykhailo Samus, director of the independent New Geopolitics Research Network in Kyiv, remarked, “Trump realized that this meeting would be a catastrophe, and he would gain nothing but shame. But the question is, what is next? Will Putin be able to get him to such a meeting again?”
Mr. Samus further underscored, “It is important for President Trump to understand that a Nobel Peace Prize is possible only by pressuring Putin, not by shouting at Zelensky.”
Throughout his presidency, Mr. Trump has often displayed a notable deference to Mr. Putin. He has yet to follow through on threats to penalize Russia for its continued aggression and has, so far, withheld American Tomahawk missiles from Kyiv amidst warnings from the Kremlin.
However, seemingly invigorated by his role in brokering a ceasefire in Gaza and driven by his public aspiration for a Nobel Peace Prize, Mr. Trump has renewed efforts to restart a Ukrainian peace process that faltered after his summer meeting with Mr. Putin in Alaska.
Although President Zelensky did not secure new weapons from his recent White House talks with Mr. Trump, he did maintain consistent U.S. backing for Kyiv’s territorial stance. Moscow continues to insist on Ukraine surrendering currently Ukrainian-controlled parts of the eastern Donetsk region, a demand Kyiv unequivocally rejects.
On Thursday, Mr. Zelensky is scheduled to meet with European leaders in Denmark, seeking further support from European nations. These countries have become the primary financial and military backers of Ukraine’s war efforts since Mr. Trump ceased direct American aid. European leaders, alongside Ukraine, advocate for an immediate ceasefire along the current battle lines.
Mr. Trump was also slated to meet in Washington on Wednesday with Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, where discussions about Ukraine were expected.
According to analyst Mr. Samus, Russia’s primary objective in talks since this spring has been to delay any ceasefire and prevent the United States from supplying Ukraine with long-range weapons.
While Mr. Putin has largely been successful in this strategy, Mr. Samus noted that the postponed Budapest meeting suggests the Russian president’s reliance on this repetitive tactic might be losing its effectiveness.
President Zelensky himself highlighted this Russian maneuver, stating on Tuesday, “Russia continues to do everything it can to weasel out of diplomacy. As soon as the issue of long-range capabilities for us, for Ukraine, became less immediate, Russia’s interest in diplomacy faded almost automatically.”