European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to “come to the negotiating table” after a new wave of Russian airstrikes struck Kyiv and caused damage at the capital’s European Union delegation headquarters.
At least 21 people were killed and 48 others wounded as Russia launched a major air attack on Kyiv early Thursday, striking the centre of Ukraine’s capital for the first time in weeks. The assault, which damaged European Union diplomatic offices, comes amid faltering US-led peace efforts to end the three-year war.
During a series of emergency calls involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump, von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to bolstering Ukraine’s defence while appealing for negotiations toward peace.
“Putin must come to the negotiating table,” she said firmly, warning that Europe would not tolerate Russia’s continuous assaults against civilian populations and infrastructures. “We must secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine with firm and credible security guarantees that will turn the country into a steel porcupine.”
The Commission chief stressed that the EU’s support would remain unwavering, noting that Europe’s new defence instrument, SAFE, would play “an important role in strengthening the brave Ukrainian armed forces.”
Her comments followed what she described on X: “another night of Russia’s relentless bombings” that struck civilian sites and claimed innocent lives. “It also hit our EU Delegation in Kyiv. Our Delegation staff is safe. Russia must stop its indiscriminatory attacks on civilian infrastructure immediately and join negotiations for a just and lasting peace.”
Britain condemned the strikes as a blow to peace talks, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas summoned Russia’s envoy in Brussels over the attack.
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Friday afternoon to address the airstrikes on Ukraine, following a request from Ukraine and five European members — Britain, France, Slovenia, Denmark, and Greece. Meanwhile, two of Ukraine’s senior envoys are scheduled to meet with the Trump administration the same day to discuss potential mediation efforts.
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