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Russia reportedly launched overnight airstrikes killing at least six people in Ukraine hours after the cancelation of President Donald Trump's scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, NBC News reports.
The attacks targeted Kyiv and other cities, according to Ukrainian officials, who claimed they were the latest example of Putin not actually being ready for peace and, instead, wanting to use negotiations to extend the yearslong war.
“Another night proving that Russia does not feel enough pressure for dragging out the war,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a post, calling on Western allies to supply his country with long-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, claiming Kyiv lacked such capabilities while being emboldened by the Kremlin's attacks.
Two children were reported to be among the casualties, according to Zelenskyy. At least 13 people were killed and dozens more injured in attacks orchestrated by Russia in Ukraine during a 24-hour span, local officials confirmed.
The Kremlin also said that neither Putin nor Trump wanted to waste time, warning that a meeting between the two sides would require more "preparation." The White House confirmed that Trump's previously scheduled meeting with Putin in Budapest had been canceled with no plans to meet "in the immediate future" in a statement obtained by ABC News on Tuesday (October 21).
Trump had previously announced that he and Putin would meet in Hungary this week in a post shared on his Truth Social account following their phone conversation last Thursday (October 16).
"I have just concluded my telephone conversation with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, and it was a very productive one," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. "President Putin congratulated me and the United States on the Great Accomplishment of Peace in the Middle East, something that, he said, has been dreamed of for centuries. I actually believe that the Success in the Middle East will help in our negotiation in attaining an end to the War with Russia/Ukraine. President Putin thanked the First Lady, Melania, for her involvement with children. He was very appreciative, and said that this will continue. We also spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over. At the conclusion of the call, we agreed that there will be a meeting of our High Level Advisors, next week. The United States’ initial meetings will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, together with various other people, to be designated. A meeting location is to be determined. President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this 'inglorious' War, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end. President Zelenskyy and I will be meeting tomorrow, in the Oval Office, where we will discuss my conversation with President Putin, and much more. I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation."
Trump and Putin had previously met for a summit in Anchorage, Alaska, in August, which was followed by Zelenskyy and other European leaders meeting at the White House days later.