PRESIDENT Donald Trump says mad Vladimir Putin made a “mistake” with the double missile strike that killed 34 people and wounded at least 119.
Following the heinous attack on Sumy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited the Republican to visit his country before any deal is reached with Russia to end the war.
GettyTrump walks on the south lawn of the White House on Sunday[/caption]
Fire fighters struggle to battle the blazes sparked by the missiles
East2WestA bloodied mother cradles her child, who also looks to be injured, following the assault[/caption]
Trump denounced the strike as “terrible” and a “horrible thing” – but declined to directly blame mad Vlad or Russia.
He instead suggested that the attack was an error – despite the two Iskander-M ballistic missiles getting launched from Russia’s Voronezh and Kursk regions, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence.
The Republican said on board Air Force One as he headed back to Washington: “I think it was terrible. And I was told they made a mistake.
“But I think it’s a horrible thing. I think the whole war is a horrible thing.”
Upon being asked to clarify what he meant by “mistake,” Trump added: “They made a mistake – you’re gonna ask them”.
Meanwhile Zelensky has warned starkly of World War III if Putin is not stopped.
He accused the US of being blinded by Russian propaganda, warning that Putin’s ultimate goal is “to revive the Russian empire and return the territories that are now under NATO protection”.
The Ukrainian leader said: “Considering all this, I believe that this could escalate into a world war.
“There will be no safe place for anyone.”
He also urged Trump to stop believing Putin’s claims that he wants peace and invited the US leader to visit Ukraine and see for himself the havoc wrought by the Russian dictator.
Zelensky added: “See, and then let’s move forward with a plan to end the war. You will understand who you have a deal with. You will understand what Putin did.
“Unfortunately, I believe that Russian narratives prevail in the United States.
“How can you witness our losses and our suffering, understand what the Russians are doing, and at the same time believe that they are not the aggressors, that they did not start this war?
“This speaks to the enormous influence of Russia’s information policy on America, on US policy and US politicians.”
On Sunday, Russia launched a horrific double strike on Ukraine, hitting a trolley bus.
At least 34 people were killed in the attack, including two children, and 117 were wounded.
World leaders slammed the Palm Sunday slaughter, with Zelensky branding Putin “b***ard” for deliberately targeting civilians.
Grieving relatives were seen weeping over the bodies of their loved ones lying in the street.
Local military officials said Russia had used vicious cluster munitions to maximise the slaughter.
They said: “It exploded in the air, the most victims were in the trolley bus — almost all passengers died. This is a trolleybus of death.”
Keir Starmer said he was “appalled” by the “horrific attacks on civilians in Sumy” and his thoughts to the victims.
EPAZelensky attends a joint press conference with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever after their meeting in Kyiv on 8 April[/caption]
East2WestAn injured woman is comforted at the side of the street[/caption]
AFPTwo distraught men comfort each other, with police psychologists on hand to offer support to the bereft[/caption]
RexPutin chairs a meeting to discuss development strategy for the Russian Navy at the Admiralty building on April 11[/caption]
He said that Zelensky has “shown his commitment to peace” and that “Putin must now agree to a full and immediate ceasefire without conditions”.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiga, condemned the attack as a “war crime“.
He said: “We are already sharing detailed information about this war crime with all our partners and international institutions.
“We call on all capitals and headquarters to respond decisively.
“For the second month in a row, Russia refuses to accept the US proposal for a complete ceasefire, which Ukraine unconditionally accepted on March 11.
“Instead, Russia is intensifying terror.”
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff, said: “The Russians hit the city of Sumy with missiles, killing civilians.”
Andriy Kovalenko, a disinformation security official, noted the strike’s timing after the visit of US envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow.
He said: “Russia is building all this so-called diplomacy […] around strikes on civilians.”
The Palm Sunday attack comes a week on from Russian rocket strikes on Ukraine‘s capital Kyiv – which Zelensky said breached the naval ceasefire.
GettyReports suggest that most of the passengers on this bus were killed[/caption]
GettyRescue workers gather around a building hit by the explosives[/caption]
East2WestCars burned in the city centre following the strike[/caption]