Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump says he’s ‘not happy’ with Putin and threatens more sanctions on Moscow

President Donald Trump has spoken out following Russia’s largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022.

The US leader said he was “not happy with what Putin is doing,” as he was “killing a lot of people.”

He continued that he was considering more sanctions on Russia.

Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul called for more sanctions on Russia following the latest wave of attacks on Ukraine.

“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is not interested in peace, he wants to continue this war, and we must not allow this, which is why the European Union will agree additional sanctions,” he said in a live interview on ARD’s Bericht aus Berlin.

Russian forces launched a barrage of 367 drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities overnight, including at the capital Kyiv, in the largest aerial attack of the war so far, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more, officials said.

Wadephul added that the United States was also able to launch new sanctions packages, and he hoped that the weight of the measures would get Putin to the negotiating table, to avoid what he called potentially severe consequences for Russia’s economy and energy sectors.

It is no coincidence that Sir Keir Starmer began his premiership last summer with a whirlwind of foreign policy activity: hosting the European Political Community summit at Blenheim Palace, flying to Washington for the 75th anniversary Nato summit, and reaffirming Britain’s role in supporting Ukraine. In doing so, he signalled Britain’s renewed seriousness as a global actor. And while this may not always be fully appreciated at home, it is being clearly registered in Moscow.

Research at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre by head of data science Sergey Mastitsky into Russian-language media – both traditional and social – shows a sharp rise in attention paid to Starmer. At times, the prime minister has received more than four times the coverage of his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Mishustin. His media profile has tripled since last October, peaking during key moments: the London Summit for the “coalition of the willing” in March, the signing of the UK-Ukraine 100-year security pact in January, and the announcement in November that Britain had persuaded the US to allow Storm Shadow missiles to be used against targets inside Russian territory. These are not random spikes – they reflect the Kremlin’s perception that Britain is back in the game.

Read the full analysis from Katia Glod here:

Security officials are investigating whether Russia was behind arson attacks on homes linked to Keir Starmer, according to reports.

Two Ukrainians and a Romanian man have been charged over the fires at two properties, including the prime minister’s home in north London before he moved to Downing Street, and a car he sold last year.

The suspects are accused of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life over the attacks earlier this month. Now officials are said to be probing whether the trio could have been recruited by Vladimir Putin’s Russia, senior Whitehall sources told the Mail on Sunday and Sunday Mirror.

Read the full article here:

Military officials have said Russian president Vladimir Putin’s helicopter was used in repelling a large-scale attack by Ukrainian drones during his visit to the Kursk Region on 20 May.

Air defence division commander Yuri Dashkin told Russian state television: “[Helicopter of Russian President] was virtually at the epicenter of repelling a large-scale attack by the enemy’s drones.

“The intensity of the attack during the flight of the aircraft with the Commander-in-Chief over the territory of the Kursk Region increased significantly.

“Therefore, we simultaneously conducted an air defense battle and ensured the safety of the presidential helicopter’s flight in the air.”

He added that “the attack by the enemy’s drones was repelled, all airspace targets were destroyed.”

Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine General Keith Kellogg has called for a ceasefire after sharing a photo of Kyiv following an attack from Russia.

The Trump administration is considering using foreign aid funds to remove migrants — including Ukrainians — who came to the U.S. fleeing violence and returning them to active war zones, according to a report.

Hundreds of thousands of migrants, including those from Ukraine and Haiti, are being considered in the plans that would see the administration spend up to $250 million earmarked for foreign assistance, according to The Washington Post.

In draft documents obtained by the newspaper, Afghans, Palestinians, Libyans, Sudanese, Syrians and Yemenis could also be targeted in the administration’s voluntary deportation program. Afghans are likely to be the first group targeted with the voluntary packages, despite the risk they face at home from the Taliban, according to the Post.

Read the full article here:

President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced three new sanction packages against Russia.

Taking to social media, the Ukrainian leader explained how these packages would target the state.

He said: “The first targets Russian individuals involved in financing Russian terrorist activities, financial manipulations, and sanctions evasion schemes that serve Russia’s interests.

“The second package targets propagandists whose lies fuel Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.

“The third applies to members of Russian mafia groups who have significantly helped establish Putin’s regime and are still associated with it. “

He added that the government was working to synchronise Ukrainian sanctions with those issued by the European Union and other global powers.

“New Ukrainian decisions on sanctions are already being prepared. Their focus is clear: individuals and legal entities from Russia and those associated with Russia, who work for the war, and who serve as a backbone for the Russian regime.

“New decisions by the National Security and Defense Council will follow soon.”

Russia launched 367 drones and missiles in Sunday’s onslaught, striking more than 30 cities and villages, according to Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Air Force.

Sounds of explosions boomed throughout the night in Kyiv and families in one village near the capital returned to find their homes burned down on Sunday.

Amy-Clare Martin reports: