At least 34 civilians have been killed by the Russian bombardment that struck the city of Sumy in the north-east of Ukraine on 13 April. It follows the 4 April bombardment of Kryvyi Rih – the birthplace of President Volodymyr Zelensky in central Ukraine – which killed 19 people, including many children. The bombardment of Sumy is the deadliest attack in terms of Ukrainian civilian casualties in recent months. It is also a reminder that the peace promised by negotiations between the United States, Ukraine and Russia remains a distant prospect.
Far from the bombs, the US-Russia talks that began in February 2025 are making little progress. While certain compromises have been reached – such as the bilateral promise not to target energy infrastructure – the meetings between US and Russian diplomats have yet to yield a tangible agreement. Playing for time while claiming to be ready for “permanent peace” on its own terms, the Kremlin is testing the patience of many, right up to the top of the US administration. Donald Trump plans to impose additional sanctions against Russia if an agreement is not reached by the end of April.
Receive the best of European journalism straight to your inbox every Thursday
