As Trump claims he has his timetable for war, the number of casualties from the Kyiv strike grows

Following his remarks regarding Volodymyr Zelenskyy, UK Conservative Party head Kemi Badenoch declined to comment on whether Britain could still view Trump as an ally. "President Zelenskyy is a hero, and we need to do everything we can to support Ukraine to end this war," Badenoch told reporters on Thursday.

On behalf of all of Europe, they are involved in this conflict. Russia is not an ally in this situation; they are the adversary. Our Prime Minister makes every effort to mend that connection since President Trump can hold a different opinion, possibly as a result of their financial assistance and actions in Ukraine.

Here's more from Donald Trump, who was addressing reporters before his White House meeting with Jonas Gahr Støre, the prime minister of Norway.

His remarks followed the U.S. president's unusual censure of Russia following Moscow's launch of one of the most catastrophic airstrikes against Ukraine in recent months, which left at least 12 people dead and over 90 injured. According to Trump, he thinks Vladimir Putin is sincere about reaching a peace agreement with Ukraine:

They must come to the table, but we firmly believe that they both desire peace. We've been waiting for a while. There is a great deal of "hatred, bad blood, and disgust" between Russia and Ukraine, Trump I believe that peace will prevail.

"We want it to be quick, and I have my deadline," he stated. When asked if he thought Putin would pay attention, Trump said, "I do."

In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, US President Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the assault on Ukraine, saying he believes Putin would listen to him. A reporter asked Trump if he thought Putin would listen to him as he and Norway's prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, entered the White House. "I do," Trump declared.

Twelve people have been killed in a Russian missile attack on Kyiv, the most since last summer, according to Ukrainian rescuers, after two more bodies were recovered from beneath the debris. They also reported that there were now 90 injured. Russia launched at least 70 missiles and 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, primarily targeting Kyiv, according to the Ukrainian air force.

At midnight, Russia said it had targeted Ukraine's defence industry, including factories that made "rocket fuel and gunpowder." The defence ministry stated that the Russian military launched a huge attack on Ukraine's aviation, aerospace, machine-building, and armoured vehicle industries overnight using long-range air, land, and sea-based weapons as well as drones. The strike's goals were

During his first visit to South Africa on Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa commended Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for reaching an unconditional ceasefire in the war with Russia to start peace negotiations. After speaking with President Zelensky, Ramaphosa told reporters, "It is a good signal from Ukraine that Ukraine is agreeable to an unconditional ceasefire so that discussions and negotiations can then ensue."

Zelenskyy reiterated during a press conference with Ramaphosa that Ukraine, in contrast to Russia, accepted President Trump's demand for an unconditional ceasefire. He claimed that by signing a pact on minerals and eliminating clauses that would conflict with its constitution, Ukraine had made every effort to forward negotiations with the US.

He also mentioned that, despite its reluctance to advance the negotiations, Ukraine does not "see strong pressure on Russia now" or additional penalties against Moscow.

After Zelenskyy refused to acknowledge Russia's unlawful takeover of Crimea, Russia, which had just launched deadly attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight, accused him of destroying diplomatic efforts to establish a peace agreement. Maria Zakharova, a spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry, told reporters that it was becoming increasingly obvious that Zelenskyy was incapable of negotiating a settlement to halt the war.

As part of a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv, the United States will insist that Russia recognise Ukraine's right to have its own army and defence sector, according to a report by Bloomberg News on Thursday that cited people with knowledge of the situation.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff is anticipated to bring up the matter with Putin at their upcoming meeting. Poland vehemently denounced the Russian assaults on Kharkiv and Kyiv. The Polish foreign ministry said on X,

"We show our solidarity with Ukraine, offering our condolences to the families of the victims and all those impacted by this tragedy." In response to the midnight strikes in Kyiv, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on social media that the strikes conveyed "

a clear message from the Kremlin: Russia has no real interest in peace." Moscow's attacks on Kyiv during the night serve as a "true reminder that Russia is the aggressor." On Thursday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer remarked.

"I think it's a real reminder that Russia is the aggressor here and that is being felt by the Ukrainians, as it has been felt for three long years now," Starmer told broadcasters when asked about his response to the assaults while on a visit to Bristol. This is why reaching an unconditional ceasefire with Russia is crucial.

Separately, Starmer discussed the significance of removing Russian energy sources and their support for Ukraine at the Summit on the Future of Energy Security in London. "Europe must never again be in a position where Russia believes they can blackmail us on energy," stated Starmer.

Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, stated that Putin must "stop lying" over continuing to attack Ukraine while desiring peace in that country. During a visit to Madagascar, Macron declared, "The only thing to do is for President Putin to finally stop lying." He claimed that despite telling US negotiators that "he wants peace," the Russian leader was still "bombing Ukraine."

The Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight, according to EU foreign policy leader Kaja Kallas, made the EU's promises of pursuing peace laughable. "Russia launched a deadly airstrike on Kyiv while claiming to seek peace," she wrote in a social media post. This is a farce of peace, not an attempt to achieve it. Russia, whose war objectives have not altered, is the true barrier, not Ukraine.

Von der Leyen of the EU discussed the necessity of "teaming up" with the UK to provide investors with regulatory certainty as well as the possibility of more investment in clean energy in the North Sea. However, she also discussed how "Russia intentionally weaponised energy supplies" in other parts of Europe.

She acknowledged that "for decades... we failed to recognise the costs that came with this dependence: the risk of price shocks, economic coercion, and blackmail, that reality was exposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine."

The UK does not acknowledge Russian authority over any area unlawfully taken from Ukraine, according to a British deputy foreign minister. In response to a pressing query regarding peace-brokering negotiations in London, Stephen Doughty

"The British position relating to Ukrainian sovereignty is known, and our position has not changed, and we do not recognize Russian sovereignty through illegal territories including Crimea," Pope Francis pays a final appreciation to the

pilgrims as he is in St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican in Peter's province. Despite previous announcements, the Basilica has closed for only an hour and overnight cleaning by Friday evening to allow for more visits.

A French high school student stabbed four other students at his school on Thursday, killing at least one and injuring three before being arrested, police said. The situation of the attack was not immediately clear. National police officers said he took place at a private, emergency taupe-high school in Nantes, on the Atlantic coast.

The presidents of Poland and Israel joined thousands of Israeli youth and other youths on their annual march at former German Nazi Schoce Camp on the Holocaust Day of Israel.

The group included former Israeli hostages captured by Holocaust Survivors and Hamas and captured in the Gaza Strip, organizers said. The Swedish army said that Trump in said he thought Putin would listen to him as he stopped the strike in Ukraine.

When he entered the White House with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Starre, Trump was asked by a reporter if he thought Putin would listen to him. "I'm doing that," Trump said.