Will Ukraine peace talks collapse after Russia’s ‘second-biggest air assault’?

Two weeks ago, when Russia’s Vladimir Putin met with US President Donald Trump in Alaska, the world was hopeful that the war in Ukraine would soon end. There was a flurry of diplomatic activity that suggested that the fighting, now completing three-and-a-half-years, would cease.

However, Thursday (August 28), that hope dimmed after Russia launched its second-biggest aerial attack since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, killing at least 23 people, including four children. The strike drew condemnation from European leaders as well as the White House, which noted that it undermines peace efforts.

Russia rains down hell on Ukraine

On Thursday, Russia rained down aerial strikes on Ukraine, with Kyiv reporting that almost 600 drones and more than 30 ballistic and cruise missiles had been deployed, making it the second-largest overnight barrage of the war, according to AFP analysis.

Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for the air force, told CNN that the strikes comprised “one of the largest combined attacks” on the country.

Among the targets of Russia’s strikes was the headquarters of the British Council and the European Union in Kyiv. Fortunately, there were no injuries to EU staff in the attack. According to The Telegraph, the Russian missiles first struck the buildings on Zhylyanska Street at 5.40am on Thursday morning. Twenty seconds later, a second missile smashes into the buildings, indicating a calculated attempt to target them.

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While the British Council in Kyiv offers educational courses and English language programmes to Ukrainians in the capital, the EU mission, which was set up in 1993, works to “promote the political and economic relations” between Ukraine and the EU, among other mandates, according to its website.

Scott McDonalds of the British Council confirmed the strikes, saying,“Last night, the bombing in Kyiv damaged the British Council offices. Our guard was injured and is shaken but stable. At the insistence of my amazing colleagues, we will continue operations in Ukraine today wherever possible.”

Later, pictures from the EU delegation offices showed the damage caused by the Russian strikes — windows were blown out and roofs had collapsed.

Russia also struck other buildings on Thursday’s strikes. As per the head of Kyiv’s Administration, Tymur Tkachenko, there was “significant damage to residential buildings in the Darnytsia and Dnipro districts,” including a five-storey residential block in Darnytsia that had been destroyed with “a direct hit.”

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Recounting the ordeal, Andriy, whose flat was destroyed, told AFP that he barely made it out alive. “If I had gone to the shelter a minute later, I would not be here now, I would have been buried.”

“I came out, could not hear anything, there was fog everywhere, and my left eye was completely covered in blood.”

Calls of condemnation grow louder

Following Russia’s strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to his European allies for further economic sanctions against Russia.

He added that the attack on Ukraine’s cities and communities was a clear response from the Kremlin to everyone who had called for weeks and months “for a ceasefire and for real diplomacy”. “It is crucial now that the world responds firmly. Russia must stop this war it started and continues. For the spurning of ceasefire and for the constant Russian attempts to weasel out of negotiations, new strong sanctions are needed,” said Zelenskyy.

On social media, Zelenskyy wrote, “The Russians are not choosing to end the war, only new strikes. All deadlines have already been broken, dozens of opportunities for diplomacy ruined. Russia must feel accountable for every strike, for every day of this war.”

Zelenskyy’s European allies also condemned Russia for the strike. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was “outraged” by the incident, calling it “another grim reminder of what is at stake.”

“It shows that the Kremlin will stop at nothing to terrorise Ukraine, blindly killing civilians, men, women and children, and even targeting the European Union,” she said.

European Council President António Costa said the damage to the EU delegation building in Kyiv overnight was “deliberate,” adding that he was “horrified” by the Russian attacks. But, he said, “The EU will not be intimidated. Russia’s aggression only strengthens our resolve to stand with Ukraine and its people.”

French President Emmanuel Macron dubbed Russia’s strikes on Ukraine as “barbarism”. He said that 629 Russian missiles and drones deployed against Ukraine in one night demonstrated “Russia’s idea of peace.” He added that France would continue its “full support to the Ukrainian people”.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also expressed his solidarity with all affected by “senseless” Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight. “Putin is killing children and civilians, and sabotaging hopes of peace. This bloodshed must end,” he said.

Additionally, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has summoned the Russian ambassador over the strikes. Confirming the same, he wrote on X, “Putin’s strikes last night killed civilians, destroyed homes and damaged buildings, including the British Council and EU Delegation in Kyiv. We have summoned the Russian ambassador. The killing and destruction must stop.”

Meanwhile, the White House said that US President Donald Trump was “not happy” but “not surprised” by the strikes. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, wants the war to end, but both Putin and Zelenskyy “must want it to end as well.”

The White House’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, also condemned the strikes, writing on X that “these egregious attacks threaten the peace that (Trump) is pursuing.”

Interested in pursuing peace talks, says Russia

Amidst the condemnation over its strikes, the Kremlin said that it was still interested in pursuing peace talks on Ukraine. And when asked about the contradiction, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that both sides were continuing its attacks.

“The special military operation continues. You can see that strikes on Russian infrastructure, often on Russian civilian infrastructure, by the Kyiv regime are also continuing. The Russian armed forces are also carrying out their tasks,” Peskov said.

He said that Russia was successfully hitting military and military-related infrastructure. “At the same time, Russia remains interested in continuing the negotiation process in order to achieve our goals through political and diplomatic means.”

Russia-Ukraine peace talks stutter

The major attack comes just two weeks after Trump held face-to-face talks with Vladimir Putin in Alaska , seeking to secure and end the war. Following this, Zelenskyy and European leaders had made their way to Washington following which it was announced that arrangements were being made for a sit-down between the Russian and Ukrainian leader.

However, since then the momentum has stalled. The Kremlin has put off attempts on a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, raising questions over the Ukrainian leader’s legitimacy.

Moreover, Ukraine has stated that before any kind of peace agreement is signed, it wants security guarantees — including Western troop deployments — to deter future Russian attacks. However, has pushed back against any Western military presence in Ukraine.

Now, a delegation from Ukraine is set to meet US officials in New York on Friday. Meanwhile, Russia’s Putin is heading to China to attend a massive military parade . Others attending this parade are North Korean leader Kim Jong Un , Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia and Slovakia’s Robert Fico.

With inputs from agencies