LONDON– Ukrainian Head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyy advised international companions to use even more stress to Moscow as Russia adhered to up Tuesday’s historical talks with the united state in Saudi Arabia with a significant rocket and drone strike.
The U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh– to which Ukraine was not welcomed– stood for “a vital advance” towards finishing Russia’s three-year-old intrusion of its next-door neighbor, according to a State Division readout.
Hours after the conversations wrapped up with a dedication to proceed talks, Russia released a significant rocket and drone battery right into Ukraine. Ukraine’s flying force reported 167 drones and 2 Iskander ballistic projectiles released right into the nation, with 106 obstructed and 56 even more shed in trip.
Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov reported a “huge adversary strike on a largely inhabited location of the city” triggering electrical power, home heating and water blackouts.
Ukrainian pressures look for drones overhead over Kyiv, Ukraine, throughout a Russian drone strike on Feb. 18, 2025.
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Zelenskyy stated in a blog post to social media sites that the strike targeted “private power centers,” in maintaining with historical Russian teaching. “For almost 3 years currently, the Russian military has actually non-stop utilized projectiles and strike drones versus them,” he stated.
” Simply the other day, after the well-known conference in Riyadh, it came to be clear that Russian agents were once more existing, asserting they do not target Ukraine’s power market,” Zelenskyy proceeded.
” Yet, practically all at once, they released an additional strike, with drones striking electric transformers,” he created. “And this is throughout winter season– it was minus 6 levels Celsius in the evening.”
” We need to always remember that Russia is ruled by pathological phonies– they can not be relied on and need to be forced,” the head of state stated.
Kyiv’s exemption from the Saudi talks have severely uncertain Ukraine and its European allies. Trump was unapologetic when talking with press reporters Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago hotel in Florida.
” They have actually sat for 3 years and a long period of time prior to that,” Trump stated of Ukraine, recommending Kyiv might have negotiated with Moscow to stay clear of the significant death and land.
Ukrainian Head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyy shows up to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Feb. 15, 2025 in Munich, Germany.
Sean Gallup/Getty Pictures
Trump stated he thinks he has “the power to finish this battle,” while incorrectly asserting Ukraine began the problem versus Russia. The battle started when Moscow released its full-blown intrusion of its next-door neighbor in February 2022, a project that adhered to 8 years of cross-border Russian hostility in Crimea and Ukraine’s eastern Donbas area.
” I believe it’s going effectively,” Trump stated of united state initiatives to finish the battle. “However today I listened to, oh, ‘Well, we weren’t welcomed.’ Well, you have actually been there for 3 years. You ought to have finished it 3 years– you ought to have never ever began it.”
Trump likewise stated that Ukraine must hold brand-new political elections– presently not feasible as a result of the charge of martial legislation– and incorrectly declared that Zelenskyy’s public authorization score was “to 4%.”
Zelenskyy recommended that the U.S.-Russia talks were simply revitalizing last offers provided by Moscow in the beginning of its intrusion.
” I feel that there are currently some settlements occurring and they have the exact same state of mind, however in between Russia and the USA,” Zelenskyy stated throughout a check out to Turkey.
” Once More, regarding Ukraine without Ukraine,” he included. “It’s intriguing, if Ukraine really did not accept last offers in one of the most hard minute, where does the sensation originated from that Ukraine will consent to this currently?”
In this handout photo launched by the main Saudi Press Company, Assistant of State Marco Rubio drinks hands with Russian Foreign Preacher Sergei Lavrov throughout their conference at Diriyah Royal residence, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 18, 2025.
-/ SPA/AFP using Getty Pictures
” I never ever planned to accept Russia’s last offers and I do not plan to currently,” Zelenskyy included.
In Riyadh, the united state and Russia consented to designate as-yet unrevealed unique agents to proceed peace negotiation, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Putin assistant Yuri Ushakov informed the state-controlled Network One tv network that Trump’s Ukraine-Russia agent– Keith Kellogg– would certainly work out a negotiation with Kyiv and European countries.
Kellogg showed up in Kyiv on Wednesday early morning, where he is anticipated to hold talks with Ukrainian leaders.
ABC Information’ Fidel Pavlenko and Will Gretsky added to this record.
