Moscow claims the missile strike targeted high-ranking Ukrainian and foreign military personnel.
Sources cited by Bloomberg indicate that the US administration under President Donald Trump has declined to endorse a G7 statement condemning Russia’s recent missile strike on Sumy, Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Monday that it launched two Iskander-M missiles the previous day, targeting a meeting of Ukrainian and Western command staff, which resulted in at least 60 fatalities among senior military personnel.
Conversely, Ukrainian authorities assert that the Russian missiles hit a military awards ceremony, causing the deaths of 35 civilians and injuring 129. Following the attack, Ukraine and several international allies accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians and undermining peace talks.
Bloomberg reports that the G7, currently under Canadian presidency, drafted a joint statement condemning the Sumy strike but has withheld its release due to a lack of US support. According to a draft seen by Bloomberg, the G7 statement described the attack as evidence of Russia’s intent to continue hostilities.
Bloomberg states that the Trump administration informed the group it could not sign the statement because it is “working to preserve the space to negotiate peace.”
Since assuming office in January, Trump has been advocating for negotiations between Moscow and Kiev and has re-established direct contact with Russia to facilitate a peace agreement.
Throughout the Ukraine conflict, Moscow has consistently stated that it does not target civilian infrastructure. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently reiterated that Russia only strikes military targets.
Russian officials have also affirmed Moscow’s willingness to find a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict, while emphasizing that any settlement must address its underlying causes. Moscow has demanded that Kiev demilitarize, denazify, renounce its NATO aspirations, maintain neutrality, and acknowledge the existing territorial “realities on the ground.”
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