Trump says he is ‘not happy’ with deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv

US President Donald Trump has said he is “not happy” with deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv and that President Vladimir Putin should “stop”.

“Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!” he said in a post on Truth Social, adding: “Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE!”

The overnight strikes killed at least eight people and injured 77 more, local officials said.

Later on Thursday Trump refused to say whether the US is considering placing more sanctions on Russia, but warned “things will happen” if the bombings don’t end.

Trump also said he had “no allegiance” to either side but was focused on bringing an end to the conflict.

Earlier, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US could be more forceful with Russia to secure a ceasefire.

“We believe that if more pressure is applied to Russia, we’ll be able to make our positions closer,” Zelensky told reporters on a visit to South Africa.

When asked if he would be willing to make any concessions, Zelensky said the fact that Ukraine is prepared to negotiate with Russia is a “huge compromise” and a “ceasefire must be the first step”.

Zelensky cut short his South Africa visit after the Kyiv attack, which he said was “undoubtedly one of the most difficult and impudent”.

“If Russia says it is ready to cease fire, it must stop massive strikes against Ukraine. It is Ukrainians who are running out of patience, because it is us who are under attack, and no one else,” he added.

Trump on Wednesday had accused the Ukrainian leader of harming peace negotiations, after Zelensky said Kyiv would not recognise Russian control of Crimea.

Ukraine has long said it will not give up Crimea, a southern peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

Trump claimed a deal to end the war was “very close”, but that Zelensky’s refusal to accept US terms “will do nothing but prolong” the conflict.

Earlier, US Vice-President JD Vance laid out the US vision for a deal, saying it would “freeze the territorial lines […] close to where they are today”.

When asked by reporters at the White House this week about whether the administration was looking to recognise Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea, Trump said he just wanted to see the war end.

Recognising Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea would not only be politically impossible for Zelensky to accept, it would also be contrary to post-war international legal norms that borders should not be changed by force.

Zelensky said a meeting about ending the conflict between Ukrainian, US, UK and European officials in London on Wednesday was “difficult but constructive, and it resulted not in differences but a desire to continue working nonetheless”.

“We’ve shown them the finish line,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday in the Oval Office, where he appeared alongside Trump and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre.

“We need both of them to say yes, but what happened last night with those missile strikes should remind everybody of why this war needs to end.”

The Ukrainian president had travelled on his first visit to South Africa, where he met President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa said during a news briefing alongside Zelensky that he was deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He also reiterated South Africa’s commitment to speaking to all parties in the conflict.

He added that he had spoken to both Putin and Trump on the need to bring an end to the conflict.

Ramaphosa in the briefing would not be drawn on whether Ukraine should cede territory to Russia. He also said his call with Trump was not tied to Zelensky’s visit, adding that the call had been months in the planning.

Zelensky’s visit would have been unimaginable just two years ago, when Ramaphosa led a delegation of African leaders to Kyiv on a self-styled peace mission.

At the time, South Africa’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a source of frustration for Kyiv.

But the geopolitical landscape has fundamentally changed since that meeting, and both countries now have a lot more in common.

There was some hope before the meeting that South Africa would extend a symbolic gesture to Ukraine, such as inviting it to the G20 summit later this year, which South Africa is hosting. But that invitation never came.

The fact that Zelensky was on South African soil may be seen by some to be a good enough sign of thawing relations, given South Africa and other African countries have refused to take sides in the war.

The US was one of Ukraine’s closest allies until the re-election of Trump in November. Now Ukraine is keen to broaden its pool of international partners – particularly in Africa where many countries have strong links with Russia.

South Africa has also suffered from strained relations with Washington, which has expelled its ambassador and removed aid funding.

South Africa says its non-aligned position puts it in a prime position to help bring about a peace deal with Russia.