Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Donald Trump to visit his country before any deal with Russia, in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Monday, the 14th of April, according to the British broadcaster BBC.
“Please, before you make any decisions or negotiate in any way, come and see the people, civilians, warriors, hospitals and churches that have been destroyed and the children that have been killed. Come and see and then let us move forward with a plan to end this war,” said Zelenskyy.
“You will understand what you are dealing with,” he continued. “You will understand what Putin did” all you have to do is “go to any city where attacks are taking place.”
The interview was recorded before Sunday’s devastating Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian town of Sumy, which killed 34 people, including two children, and injured 117 others.
The attack came as the US, Ukraine’s strongest military ally, under Trump, is trying to negotiate an end to the war.
Russia, whose forces are preparing for a major offensive near the Ukrainian border, did not immediately comment officially on the attack.
Asked about the attack, the US President said it was “terrible” and he had been told that “they made a mistake”, but did not comment further.
Earlier, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said the attack had crossed “every line of decency”.
Friedrich Merz, who is expected to take over as Germany’s new chancellor next month, told German public broadcaster ARD that the attack on Sumy was a “grave war crime”.
“It was a treacherous act… and it is a grave war crime, deliberate and planned,” the conservative politician said.
Meanwhile, outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the attack showed “the extent of Russia’s apparent willingness to make peace”.
French President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of “blatant disregard for human lives, international law and President Trump’s diplomatic efforts”.
“Strong measures are needed to impose on Russia a cessation of hostilities,” he said. “France is working tirelessly with its partners to achieve this goal.”
Describing the attack as “barbaric”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added: “Russia was and remains the aggressor in clear violation of international law.”
“Strong measures are urgently needed to achieve a ceasefire. Europe will continue to reach out to its partners and keep up the pressure on Russia until the bloodshed stops and a just and lasting peace is achieved under the terms and conditions set by Ukraine.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also expressed his views, saying he felt “appalled by Russia’s horrific attacks on civilians in Sumy”.
A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply disturbed and shocked” to learn of the missile attack.
“Attacks against civilians and civilian objects are prohibited under international humanitarian law and any such attacks, wherever they occur, must cease immediately,” he added.
Guterres underlined the UN’s support for “meaningful efforts to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace that fully supports Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity”.
Sunday’s double missile strike was the deadliest attack on civilians in Ukraine this year.
Another Russian missile attack earlier this month, on the 4th of April, killed 20 people and wounded 61 in Kriviy Rih.
At the time, the Russian Ministry of Defence said it targeted a meeting of “unit commanders and Western instructors” in a restaurant. No evidence was provided.
It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people have been killed or injured on both sides – most of them soldiers – since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on the 24th of February 2022.
The UN estimates that nearly seven million Ukrainians are currently living as refugees.
The conflict has been going on for more than a decade, since 2014, when the pro-Russian President of Ukraine was ousted. Russia then annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea and supported rebels in bloody fighting in eastern Ukraine.
In an interview, Zelenskyy said the US was a key partner, but he feared that support would weaken over time. He warned that without US support, Ukraine could face heavy losses, but said Ukraine would still fight to the end.