Starmer condemns Putin over ‘cowardly’ assault on Kyiv

Sir Keir Starmer said Vladimir Putin has shown he is “not serious about peace” as he joined allies in condemning Russian strikes that marked the largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the war began.

The Prime Minister said the “brutal” and “cowardly” assault on Kyiv, which killed at least two people, proved that the Russian president felt he could “act with impunity”.

French president Emmanuel Macron, with whom Sir Keir leads the so-called “coalition of the willing”, said Moscow was “locking itself ever deeper into the logic of war and terror”.

Sir Keir said: “I’m appalled by the latest brutal overnight assault on Kyiv and across Ukraine, which killed civilians and hit infrastructure. For the first time, the heart of Ukraine’s civilian government was damaged.

“These cowardly strikes show that Putin believes he can act with impunity. He is not serious about peace.

“Now, more than ever, we must stand firm in our support for Ukraine and its sovereignty.”

Meanwhile, Polish premier Donald Tusk said the military onslaught showed that delaying a “strong reaction” against the Russian leader and any “attempts to appease him” made “no sense”.

“The US and Europe must together force Russia to accept an immediate ceasefire. We have all the instruments,” Mr Tusk said on Saturday.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: “Once again, the Kremlin is mocking diplomacy, trampling international law and killing indiscriminately.

“Europe stands, and will continue to stand, fully behind Ukraine.”

Russia attacked Ukraine with 805 drones and decoys, officials said, and Ukraine shot down and neutralised 747 drones and four missiles, according to a statement from the country’s air force.

There were nine missile hits and 56 drone strikes in 37 locations across Ukraine as debris from shot-down drones and missiles fell on eight locations.

Associated Press reporters saw a plume of smoke rising from the roof of Kyiv’s cabinet of ministers building, but it was not clear if the smoke was the result of a direct hit or debris, which would mark an escalation in Russia’s air campaign.

The attack comes after European nations pressed the Russian leader to work to end the war at a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing” – a group of countries led by France and Britain seeking to help protect Kyiv in the event of a ceasefire.

Some 26 of Ukraine’s allies pledged to provide security guarantees as part of a “reassurance force” for the war-torn country once the fighting ends, Mr Macron has said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to meet Mr Putin to negotiate a peace agreement, and has urged US president Donald Trump to put punishing sanctions on Russia to push it to end the war.

“The world can force the Kremlin criminals to stop the killings – all that is needed is political will,” he said on Sunday.