Following the Russian assault on Sunday in Sumy, Ukraine, European Union foreign ministers are convening in Luxembourg on Monday morning to address the key challenges facing the bloc and explore potential solutions.
The attack, which resulted in at least 34 deaths and over 100 injuries in Sumy, has prompted the EU leaders to meet and discuss ways to counter Russian aggression.
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack on Sumy, calling it an abuse of human rights and a blatant disregard for the diplomatic efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump to end the war. He said, “Blatant disregard for human lives, international law, and the diplomatic efforts of President Trump.”
Meanwhile, the incoming German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, labeled the Russian actions as “serious war crimes” and “perfidy,” referring to the deceptive manner in which the attack was carried out. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the attack as “the Russian version of a ceasefire.”
However, the United States viewed the attack from a different angle.
In a statement to reporters on Sunday night, President Trump referred to the assault on Sumy as “terrible” but claimed that he had been “told it was a mistake.” He also pointed the finger at President Joe Biden, asserting, “This is not my war.”
This comment comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an interview with CBS, expressed concern that “Russian narratives are prevailing in the US.”
In response, Zelenskyy made a heartfelt appeal to Trump, urging him to visit Ukraine to witness firsthand the destruction caused by the war, which escalated in 2022.
He said, “Before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, and children destroyed or dead.”