Ukraine Russia war latest: European leaders accuse Putin of ‘sabotaging peace’ after devastating Kyiv attack that killed 23

German chancellor Friedrich Merz has confirmed that a proposed bilateral meeting between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will not take place.

“We have to deal with this issue again today, given the fact that there will obviously not be a meeting between president Zelensky and president Putin,” he said alongside French president Emmanuel Macron as the two met to discuss efforts to end Moscow’s offensive on Ukraine.

The statement comes after a major Russian attack on Kyiv killed at least 23 people, including children.

The US president had proposed that Zelensky and Putin meet directly at a bilateral summit, which Trump could join.

This is “different from what was agreed between president Trump and president Putin last week when we were in Washington together,” Merz added.

Starmer and EU leaders may express outrage but they need to take more drastic action to help Ukraine beat Putin, writes World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the airstrike on Kyiv, the second-largest attack since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, was Moscow’s answer to diplomatic efforts to end its war.

At least 23 people, including children, were killed in the capital, Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said on Telegram.

“Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table,” Zelensky said on X, calling for new sanctions on Russia. “It chooses to continue killing instead of ending the war.”

Russia said its attack had hit military-industrial facilities and air bases, and that Ukraine had attacked Russian targets. The Kremlin said it was still interested in pursuing peace talks.

Russia has killed at least 23 people including four children in a massive wave of drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s capital that has drawn international condemnation.

Sir Keir Starmer accused Vladimir Putin of “sabotaging hopes of peace” with the attacks that took place in the early hours of Thursday and saw more than 600 drones and over 30 missiles launched.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strike, the second largest attack since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, was Moscow’s answer to diplomatic efforts to end its war.

Russia’s invading forces have broken into an eighth region of Ukraine, a Ukrainian military official said on Wednesday, seeking to capture more ground in their three-year war of attrition as US-led peace efforts struggle to gain traction.

Some Russian troops have entered the villages of Novoheorhiivka and Zaporizke in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, a major Ukrainian industrial center next to the Donetsk region where fierce fighting has been taking place, Victor Trehubov, spokesman for local ground forces, told The Associated Press by phone.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed earlier this month that its forces had taken the two villages.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “sabotaging” hopes of peace following the “senseless” strikes early on Thursday.

Russia launched a major air attack on Kyiv that included a rare strike on the city centre, killing at least 19 people, wounding 48 and damaging European Union diplomatic offices, authorities said.

At least 18 people have been killed in another Russian drone and missile swarm attack on Ukraine. The offices of the European Union and the British Council were struck, along with a five-storey block of flats destroyed in Kyiv. Lots and lots of outrage. So what?

That’s a statement of the obvious – but not the statement of a statesman.

The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley reports:

Italy’s foreign minister has said he does not anticipate the war in Ukraine ending this year.

Speaking following a cabinet meeting in Rome Antonio Tajani added it was “clear” there would have to be new sanctions if Russia continued “like this”.

“The war isn’t going to end as soon as some people said and believed … I don’t want to be a pessimist but I don’t think there can be solutions before the end of the year,” he said.