Brussels: European officials condemned Monday Russia’s deadly missile attack on Ukraine’s Sumy that killed 34 people and wounded 117, accusing Moscow of committing war crimes and demonstrating disregard for Washington-led efforts to end the war.
Ukrainian officials said two ballistic missiles on Sunday morning hit the heart of Sumy, a city about 30 kilometers away from Ukraine’s border with Russia, as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, killing at least 34 and wounding 117. It is the second large-scale attack to claim civilian lives in just over a week.
Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, whose country holds the European Union’s rotating presidency, said that the recent attacks are “Russia’s mocking answer” to Kyiv’s agreement to a ceasefire proposed by the US administration over a month ago.
“I hope that President Trump, the US administration, see that the leader of Russia is mocking their goodwill, and I hope the right decisions are taken,” Sikorski told reporters Monday in Luxembourg, where EU foreign ministers met.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen noted that the attack on Sumy came shortly after Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, was in Saint Petersburg for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It demonstrates that “Russia shows full disregard for the peace process, but also that Russia has zero regard for human life.”
Meanwhile, Britain sent Ukraine $990 million to buy air defences and artillery on Monday, part of a broader $50 billion international loan programme backed by frozen Russian assets, Britain’s government said.