President Donald Trump has described the recent Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, which left at least 34 people dead, as “a horrible thing.” Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday while returning to Washington, Trump condemned the attack, expressing sorrow over the loss of life. He remarked that he had been informed the strike was a mistake, though he did not provide specifics on who made that claim or what exactly went wrong. When pressed for clarification, he said, “They made a mistake… you’re gonna ask them,” leaving the interpretation open.
Earlier in the day, the National Security Council issued a statement underscoring the significance of Trump’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war, calling the Sumy strike a stark reminder of what is at stake. While neither the president nor the White House directly named Moscow as responsible, Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly extended condolences to those affected by what he called a “horrifying Russian missile attack.”
The deadly strike occurred just two days after Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to push forward negotiations to bring the war to a close. The timing of the attack has heightened the urgency surrounding U.S.-led diplomatic efforts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, responding to the tragedy, extended a heartfelt appeal to President Trump. In an emotional interview aired on CBS, Zelensky urged Trump to visit Ukraine to witness firsthand the damage and suffering caused by the war. “Please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,” he pleaded.
As the conflict grinds on and civilian casualties continue to mount, global attention is fixed on how the U.S. will respond in the coming days. Trump’s remarks and the recent diplomatic moves suggest that critical decisions may be just around the corner.
