Putin ridicules Trump on the international stage

Vladimir Putin "mocked" Donald Trump's attempt to negotiate peace in Ukraine by carrying out a ballistic missile strike that killed dozens of people in Sumy, EU foreign ministers said.

Radoslaw Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister, said at a meeting with his European counterparts in Luxembourg: "I hope that President Trump, the US administration, sees that the Russian leader is mocking their goodwill, and I hope the right decisions will be made."

Kestutis Budrys, the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, told reporters: "This is once again a humiliation for all those striving diplomatically to end this war and at least get a ceasefire, allowing negotiations to begin."

This is the second major attack resulting in civilian casualties in just over a week, following a deadly missile strike on the hometown of Volodymyr Zelensky on April 4 that killed 20 people, including nine children.

The attack took place two days after Mr Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, travelled to Russia to meet with Mr Putin in order to establish a framework for peace negotiations.

(MH with AmBar - Source: X - Photo: © DPA Russian Look - Kremlin Pool)