Trump says European leaders will visit US as Kyiv reels from what Ukraine calls the largest air strike of the war
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump told reporters he expects individual European leaders to travel to the United States “on Monday or Tuesday” to discuss resolving the Russia-Ukraine war — a claim that came as Ukrainian officials described a massive drone-and-missile barrage across large parts of the country and pleaded for a robust U.S. response.
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“Certain European leaders are coming over to our country on Monday or Tuesday individually,” Mr. Trump said after returning from the U.S. Open in New York, adding that he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin “soon.” He also expressed confidence that “the Russia-Ukraine situation, we’re going to get it done.”
It was not immediately clear which European leaders he meant, and the White House did not respond to requests for details. The remarks nevertheless signal an attempt by a U.S. president who has often questioned conventional Western strategy on Russia to position himself at the center of diplomatic efforts — at a moment when the battlefield in Ukraine appeared to grow more dangerous.
Attack described as largest of the war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strike — a combination of missiles and drones — was “the largest air attack” since Russia’s full-scale invasion. He reported four people killed and damage in multiple regions, from the southern port of Odesa to industrial Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih in the center, and across the north in Sumy and Chernihiv.
In Kyiv, residents huddled in blankets on the sidewalks outside apartment blocks to inspect shattered windows and burned facades while rescue crews fought fires. The images of civilians stunned and displaced once again underscored the human toll of a war that shows few signs of ending quickly.
“It is important that there is a broad response from partners to this attack,” Mr. Zelensky said in an evening address. “We are counting on a strong response from America. That is what is needed.”
U.S. response: talk of tougher sanctions but little detail
Mr. Trump said he was prepared to move to a “second phase” of sanctions on Russia — the closest he has come to indicating a willingness to ramp up economic pressure — but he offered no specifics. Until recent weeks, Mr. Trump had resisted calls for tougher penalties, and his style of dealing directly with Mr. Putin has raised questions among allies about how quickly Washington will coordinate a common front.
U.S. officials and allies were quick to describe the strike as an escalation. Keith Kellogg, the U.S. envoy to Ukraine, wrote on X that the attack “was not a signal that Russia wants to diplomatically end this war.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that additional economic pressure by the United States and Europe could be designed to push Mr. Putin toward talks.
European capitals condemned the latest assault and reiterated political and military support for Ukraine, but there remains hesitancy over what that support should look like in practical terms. Offers of additional hardware have arrived in some cases; the prospect of boots on the ground remains politically fraught across the continent.
Why this matters beyond the headlines
The exchange between the White House and Kyiv plays out against several broader currents reshaping the global order.
- First, the war is stretching the unity that Western governments have shown since 2022. While sanctions and military aid have been sustained, fatigue and domestic politics in many allied countries complicate long-term commitments.
- Second, Moscow’s closer ties with Beijing — and expanding arms and energy relationships with other states — have helped offset some of the pain from Western sanctions, making coercive diplomacy more difficult.
- Third, the U.S. finds itself balancing domestic political imperatives with international leadership: a president who can claim diplomatic reach and a propensity for bilateral deals must still win support from a patchwork of democracies to craft effective multilateral penalties.
All of these elements mean that a claim by the U.S. president that European leaders will fly in “individually” to discuss peace raises practical questions: Is this a frank, behind-the-scenes shuttle diplomacy designed to coordinate a unified strategy? Or is it an ad hoc series of meetings that could further fracture a coherent Western position?
What comes next
For now, the immediate priorities are clear: Kyiv is seeking more tangible security guarantees and a show of unity from Washington and European capitals to deter further Russian strikes. Diplomats in Brussels and Washington will be watching closely for any sign that the United States will broaden sanctions or take other measures that have real teeth.
At the same time, the prospect of Mr. Trump speaking directly with Mr. Putin has alarmed some analysts who fear a back-channel approach could undercut allied strategies or embolden Moscow if not paired with coalition support. The larger question is whether the West can sustain pressure on Russia while offering credible pathways to reduce violence — and whether Moscow sees negotiations as preferable to continued military pressure.
As the war grinds on, civilian suffering continues to mount and the calculus in capitals grows more fraught. Will individual visits to Washington translate into a coordinated diplomatic push? Can economic measures be sharpened in ways that make talks politically attractive to Moscow? And most urgently: can more be done to protect civilians caught in the crossfire?
Answers will begin to emerge in the days ahead, as leaders meet, ministers confer, and — possibly — new sanctions are announced. For Ukrainians in damaged neighborhoods tonight, the questions are more immediate: will there be help soon, and will the strikes stop?
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
