Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on US President Donald Trump to visit Ukraine before proposing or backing any agreement with Russia to end the ongoing war.

“Before making any decisions or engaging in talks, come and witness the reality — see the people, the wounded, the destroyed homes, churches, and the children we’ve lost,” Zelensky said during an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes.

His remarks came just before a deadly Russian missile strike hit the city of Sumy on Sunday, killing 34 people — including two children — and injuring 117 more. The assault, one of the deadliest this year, drew global condemnation.

Trump condemned the attack as “horrible,” while German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz labeled it a “serious war crime.” France’s President Emmanuel Macron accused Moscow of showing “blatant disregard for human lives and international law,” urging stronger measures to enforce a ceasefire.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the strike as “barbaric,” emphasizing that Russia “remains the aggressor” and calling for “urgent pressure” to secure peace on Ukraine’s terms.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also condemned the attack, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep alarm, stressing that “attacks on civilians are prohibited under international humanitarian law.”

The war, now in its fourth year since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, has left hundreds of thousands dead or wounded and forced nearly seven million Ukrainians to flee abroad. The roots of the conflict date back to 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatists in eastern Ukraine following the ousting of a pro-Moscow Ukrainian leader.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1252 HRS, APR 14, 2025
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