KYIV -- Rescue teams recovered two more bodies from the rubble of apartment buildings destroyed in a massive Russian missile-and-drone attack, prompting US President Donald Trump to issue a rare rebuke of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The April 24 overnight barrage -- the largest in months -- came just hours after the White House gave what amounted to an ultimatum about a US proposal to end the 38-month-old Russian invasion.
Western efforts to try and resolve the Ukraine war, or even secure a temporary cease-fire, have sputtered in recent days as Russia shows no indication it will ease its assault and Ukraine pushes back on US proposals.
"If Russia says it wants a cease-fire, it should stop these massive attacks," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in South Africa, where he cut short an official visit due to the overnight assault.
Scores Wounded, 12 Dead In Russian Attack On Kyiv
Hours later, Trump, who lashed out at Zelenskyy a day earlier, condemned the Russian attack in a short social media post addressed to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
"I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv," he wrote. "Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, Stop! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let's get the Peace Deal Done!"
Is The US Open To Recognizing Crimea As Russian?
Foreign ministers and top diplomats had been scheduled to meet in London on April 23 for new talks. But they were effectively downgraded after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pulled out at the last minute.
Rubio's decision was reportedly prompted by Zelenskyy's rejection of a US proposal that Washington might formally recognize Russian control over the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.
That would be a major reversal of longstanding US policy. It is also seen as potential political suicide for any Ukrainian officials.
"There is nothing to talk about. This violated our constitution. This is our territory, the territory of Ukraine," Zelenskyy told reporters ahead of the London talks.
The US proposal also reportedly calls for blocking Ukraine's membership in the NATO alliance, an policy goal that is written into the country's constitution.
SEE ALSO: What’s On The Table: Ukraine Talks Get Downgraded As Top Officials Pull OutHours after the London talks concluded, Trump criticized Zelenskyy directly, on social media and in remarks to reporters. He also suggested Putin was open to the US proposals.
"I think Russia is ready, and a lot of people said Russia wanted to go for the whole thing. And I think we have a deal with Russia. We have to get a deal with Zelenskyy," Trump told reporters.
"I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelenskyy," he said. "So far it's harder."
White House envoy Steve Witkoff is set to fly to Moscow on April 25 for expected meetings with Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the US proposal on Crimea fit with Moscow's longstanding assertion that the peninsula is Russian.
"This fully corresponds to our understanding and what we have been saying for a long time," he told reporters.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy responded to Trump and included a copy of a 2018 US State Department statement calling on Russia to end its occupation of Crimea.
"We don't want this to be a frozen conflict, with war breaking out again in two to three years," he said on April 24, speaking alongside South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria. "We need a strong guarantor [of our security]. If you don't support [NATO membership], that's your decision...but Russia should have no power to veto it."
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Russia Launches Massive Overnight Strike On Kyiv
What Is the Biggest Obstacle to Ukraine Peace Deal?
Trump had vowed to end the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours of taking office. But negotiations have proved difficult as Russia targets both civilian and military sites across the country while pressing its advantage on the battlefield.
Ukraine's military said more than 210 missiles and drones were launched in the overnight assault, including ballistic and cruise missiles launched by heavy bombers and Black Sea naval ships.
More than 100 missiles were downed or intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses, the military claimed.
"Kyiv and its region [and the] Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Poltava, Khmelnytsky, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhya regions were under a massive combined Russian attack," Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram.
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Rescuers Search For Possible Survivors Of Attack On Kyiv
A number of residential buildings were damaged or destroyed in the capital, Kyiv, and officials said at least 12 people were killed and scores of people were wounded across the country.
Rescuers rushed to pull survivors from building debris, listening for mobile phones ringing to try and locate people.
"The first strike was loud; the glass shattered instantly. The second followed two to three minutes later," one man told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. "We hid behind two walls. The doors and windows were blown down. Then we got dressed and ran down from the seventh floor over [broken] glass."
Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, was also hit by multiple missiles, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. It was no immediately clear if there were casualties.
SEE ALSO: For Ukraine's 'Coalition Of The Willing,' The Difficult Task Of Making Plans Without Plans For PeaceUkraine's foreign minister, who traveled to London despite the downgraded meetings, lashed out at Putin and criticized the Trump administration.
"Putin demonstrates through his actions, not words, that he does not respect any peace efforts and only wants to continue the war," Andrii Sybiha said on X.
"Russia, not Ukraine, is the obstacle to peace. Moscow, not Kyiv, is where pressure should be applied," he wrote.
The downgrading of the London meetings highlighted the divide between the countries in finding a path to peace talk amid Trump's complaints of a lack of progress in the negotiations.
SEE ALSO: Trump Talk Of Imminent Deal Sharpens Focus On Ukraine DiplomacyUkrainian and US officials were also set to sign a deal this week that would give US companies access to Ukraine's valuable mineral resources.
That agreement has also been the subject of difficult negotiations and resulted in an acrimonious Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy in February.