‘Russia Does Not Feel Enough Pressure’: Ukraine Bombarded Over 2 Deadly Nights as Trump Sours on Meeting With Putin

Latest Developments

• Kindergarten Hit in Kharkiv: Russia launched drone and missile strikes targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure in Kyiv and other cities on the night of October 21-22, killing at least seven people, including two children, and wounding dozens more. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the attack proves “that Russia does not feel enough pressure for dragging out the war.” One of the drones struck a kindergarten in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-biggest city, killing one person and injuring 27. The strikes followed another barrage during the previous night targeting the Chernihiv region. The attack killed at least four people and cut power for hundreds of thousands of residents as part of Russia’s ongoing campaign to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of winter.

• Trump Says Meeting With Putin May Be ‘Waste of Time’: Russia’s latest strikes came hours after U.S. officials said plans for a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary, had been put on hold as Moscow again rebuffed Trump’s call for a ceasefire along current lines of control. “I don’t want to have a wasted meeting. I don’t want to have a waste of time here. I’ll see what happens,” Trump said. The statement followed a phone call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that was intended to prepare for the Trump-Putin meeting. “I want to officially confirm: Russia has not changed its position compared to the understandings that were reached during the Alaska summit,” Lavrov told reporters.

• Russia-Directed Saboteurs Arrested in Poland, Romania: Authorities in Poland and Romania uncovered a Russian-directed plot to send explosive parcels to Ukraine, arresting eight suspects, including a 21-year-old Ukrainian. “Preliminary information indicates that they created a route of some kind to send explosives through Poland and Romania to Ukraine,” Jacek Dobrzynski, spokesman for Poland’s Special Services Coordinator, stated. According to the Polish National Prosecutor’s Office, the group intended for the parcels to explode during transit.

FDD Expert Response

“Russia’s actions in Ukraine and Poland demonstrate that Putin’s rhetoric about seeking peace is worthless. Russia is conducting unrestricted warfare on Ukraine’s civilian population and cognitive warfare against our Polish allies. President Trump should stop listening to Putin and pick up the pace in supporting Ukraine.” — RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Senior Fellow and Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation

“Trump’s decision to cancel the meeting is a step in the right direction because Putin’s words are meaningless, and with Trump, actions speak louder than words. Russia still has maximalist objectives in Ukraine, and Putin is playing for more time. There is now an opportunity for Trump to put Putin on the defensive, impose more sanctions, and give Ukraine the weapons it needs for a ‘peace through strength’ policy.” — Ivana Stradner, Research Fellow

“President Trump is right to eschew another sit-down with Putin unless and until Moscow is ready to discuss realistic peace terms. But Putin won’t agree to a ceasefire along the current lines just because Trump asks him to. The Russian autocrat must be convinced that he cannot accomplish his objectives through military means and that continuing the war is unsustainable. Trump should focus on economic and military measures to help Putin reach that conclusion, such as tougher sanctions on Russian oil revenue and increased support for Ukrainian forces, including their long-range strike and air defense capabilities.” — John Hardie, Russia Program Deputy Director

FDD Background and Analysis

“Letter to the POTUS,” by Clifford D. May

“Saving lives in Ukraine will require Trump to play the strong cards at his disposal,” by Peter Doran and Dmitriy Shapiro

“5 Ways the United States and Europe Must Help Ukraine Now,” by RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery

“Meeting Zelenskyy, Trump Signals Reluctance on Sending Cruise Missiles to Ukraine,” FDD Flash Brief