Russia launched a major attack on Kyiv, pounding Ukraine's capital for hours with missiles and drones. At least 12 people were killed. Margaret Brennan asked Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov about targeting civilians.

Moscow

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

Russia has launched a significant attack on Ukraine, targeting the capital, Kyiv, for hours with missiles and drones. The assault resulted in the deaths of at least 12 people. During an interview with Margaret Brennan on "Face the Nation," Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov defended the attack, claiming Russia only targets military objectives or civilian sites used by the military.

The justification for these strikes comes amid discussions on potential peace deals. However, the specific terms of any such agreement remain unclear, as neither President Trump nor Lavrov provided details. Lavrov stated that while the United States and Russia are moving toward a possible deal, several elements still require further negotiation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Trump appear to have differing views on the course of action, with Trump expressing dissatisfaction with the timing of the attacks and calling for an end to violence. Meanwhile, plans for further discussions between Trump's envoy, Steve Whitkoff, and Putin indicate ongoing diplomatic engagements. However, the situation remains tense, particularly concerning the status of Crimea, which Russia insists is not negotiable, conflicting with Ukraine's constitutional stance as stated by President Zelensky.



Russia's Sergey Lavrov defends latest strike on Ukraine

Well, Russia launched a major attack today on Kiev, pounding Ukraine's capital for hours with missiles and drones. At least 12 people were killed in a rare rebuke of President Putin. President Trump posted that he was not happy with the attack, and Vladimir, stop. But when asked later if Putin is an obstacle to peace, Mr. Trump said, I don't think so. And asked what concessions Putin had made to end the war, Mr. Trump said, not taking all of Ukraine. Margaret Brennan talked today with Sergei Lavrov for Sunday's Face the Nation. Lavrov has been Russia's foreign minister for more than 20 years. President Trump has said publicly the Russian strikes are not necessary and very bad timing. Vladimir, stop, was his quote. What made it worth killing civilians when Ukraine says it's ready for a ceasefire? We only target military goals or civilian sites used by the military. So was this an intentional attack, then, not a mistake? If this was a target used by the Ukrainian military, the Ministry of Defense, the commanders in the field have the right to attack them. I want to ask you about what President Trump said on Wednesday. The president of the United States says he thinks the U.S. and Russia have a deal, let's get it done. Does President Putin agree? Well, the president of the United States believes, and I think rightly so, that we are moving in the right direction. The statement by the president mentions a deal, and we are ready to reach a deal. But there are still some specific points, elements of this deal, which need to be fine-tuned. And we are busy with this exact process. And the president of the United States did not spell out the elements of the deal, so it is not appropriate for me to do this. Margaret, against this backdrop, the president said in the Oval Office today, you have no idea, we're putting a lot of pressure on Russia. Where does all of this leave his effort to end the war that he said he would end on day one? Well, Marish, tomorrow, President Trump's personal envoy, Steve Whitkoff, is planning to meet with Vladimir Putin for a fourth time. Now, despite what President Trump is saying about concessions, at this point, Vladimir Putin has not offered to give up anything concrete. In fact, Minister Lavrov was quite clear when it came to Crimea. That's the territory Russia seized back in 2014. Lavrov said it is a done deal. They will not give that territory back. And that's a challenge, because Ukraine's President Zelensky said that if they were to do so, it would violate his constitution. So it seems the two sides are pretty far apart.

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Ukraine Invasion