By Jorge Liboreiro

While we were peacefully sleeping in our comfortable beds, Kyiv residents spent the night in shelters. 

The city was terrorised as Russian forces launched 11 ballistic missiles, 55 cruise missiles, 4 glide bombs and 145 drones, most of which were intercepted. But some were not, killing at least nine people and leaving more than 70 injured. It is the deadliest assault against the capital since July and comes on the heels of similarly devastating strikes against Sumy, Odesa and Kryvyi Rih.

The latest attack coincides with a renewed push by the White House to reach a deal between Ukraine and Russia, an effort that has so far yielded scarce results but abundant recriminations. Donald Trump, who, during his campaign, boasted he would end the war in 24 hours, appears to have realised the twisted complexity of a full-scale armed conflict and is consequently running out of patience.

Trump and his deputies are now openly threatening to “walk away” from the negotiations (which themselves launched just two months ago) unless concrete progress is achieved in the short term. In a bid to break the deadlock, the White House has tabled a new proposal offering Russia “de iure” recognition of Crimea, “de facto” recognition of most occupied territories, a promise that Ukraine won’t join NATO, the lifting of sanctions and enhanced cooperation with America. Under the proposal, first reported by Axios, Ukraine would receive unspecified security guarantees, a small part of the Kharkiv Oblast, unimpeded passage of the Dnipro River and assistance for rebuilding.

The one-page document, described as Trump’s “final offer,” confirmed the long-held fears of Europeans. Since the 90-minute phone call that Trump had with Vladimir Putin in February, Ukraine and its allies have been increasingly alarmed by the White House’s excessive bias in favour of Moscow and against Kyiv, an approach that has brought forth a profoundly uneven diplomatic process.

America has focused its pressure primarily on Ukraine, the country under attack, refusing to provide additional military aid, including the air defence systems needed to repel incoming Russian attacks, or ramp up sanctions against the Kremlin. The White House has challenged Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s authority as president, called for new elections, spread false narratives and, in an unmistakable sign of its strategic realignment, sided with Moscow to vote against UN resolutions.

What’s more, Trump has erased the line between aggressor and aggressed, going as far as blaming Ukraine for the invasion. This fact alone can explain all the other actions we have seen: once you remove Russia’s responsibility from the equation, negotiations adopt a completely different form. You no longer start by acknowledging that one country freely decided to invade another. You no longer admit the blatant, grievous violations of international law. You no longer seek justice and reparations. You pursue a deal, full stop, without further consideration.

But some considerations just cannot be ignored.

“Ukraine will not legally recognise the occupation of Crimea,” Zelenskyy said. “There is nothing to talk about. It is against our constitution.” In a subsequent social media post, he shared a screenshot of a US statement from 2018 that reaffirmed the “refusal to recognise the Kremlin’s claims of sovereignty over territory seized by force.”

Trump quickly hit back, calling Zelenskyy’s words “very harmful” to the negotiations. “It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about!” he wrote. There was no hint of criticism against the invader. “I have nothing to do with Russia,” the president insisted.

Meanwhile, the European Commission rejected both the idea of recognising Crimea as Russian and lifting sanctions before the war comes to an end. “Crimea is Ukraine,” a spokesperson said.

The comments laid bare the enormous chasm between Brussels and Washington. The two cities are now effectively operating on separate dimensions when it comes to the war (and most issues of global relevance, for that matter).

By contrast, the Kremlin welcomed Trump’s stance on Crimea, saying “it fully conforms with our understanding and with what we have been saying.”

The following day, as news of the Kyiv strike made headlines, Trump tried to rebalance his act by changing, briefly, his tune: “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE!”