KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed "tangible progress" on a potential peacekeeping force after meeting with French and British military chiefs, shortly after he called out Washington for what he termed a "weak" response to the latest Russian air strike that killed nine children.
"There is tangible progress and the first details on how the security contingent of partners can be deployed," Zelenskyy said on social media on April 5 without providing specifics.
The remarks came after Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskiy and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with British defense chief of staff Tony Radakin and French counterpart Thierry Burkhard in Kyiv.
The comments also came ahead of a reported Russian air strike on the capital, Kyiv, in the early morning hours of April 6. "Explosions in the capital. Air defenses are working," Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram. There was no immediate word on casualties or damage.
In early March, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the formation of a "coalition of the willing" to establish a military mission to Ukraine, although progress has been slow and many questions remain.
SEE ALSO: A Month On, Ukraine Is Still Waiting For The Coalition Of The WillingFrench President Emmanuel Macron also has taken a leading role in the effort to create what he calls a "reassurance force" to Ukraine after any end to the war that has turned increasingly deadly following Russia’s full-scale invasion of February 2022.
"Together with the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine, we continue our discussions on long-term support for the Ukrainian people," Macron wrote on X on April 5.
"First, for their army, which is -- and will remain -- their first line of defense; and second, on a possible reassurance force, deployed behind the line of contact to deter any renewed Russian aggression," Macron added.
British Defense Secretary John Healey is set to host EU defense ministers in Brussels on April 10 to discuss Ukraine, the Defense Ministry in London said. Healey will then lead the Ukraine Defense Contact Group with his Germany counterpart the following day.
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Children Among The Victims Of Russian Strike On Kryviy Rih
Earlier, Zelenskyy sharply criticized what he called a "weak" US response to a Russian air attack that hit a playground, killing at least 20 people, half of whom were children.
Moscow claimed the attack, late on April 4 -- which Kyiv said involved the usage of a cluster munition -- was on a military gathering.
Verified photos and video from the scene, however, showed destruction at a playground in a residential neighborhood in the city of Kryviy Rih, Zelenskyy's hometown.
US Ambassador to Kyiv Bridget Brink said in a social media post that she was "horrified" by the strike that also injured at least 74 others, saying "this is why the war must end."
But Zelenskyy slammed the statement for failing to call out Russia by name, something that Brink -- who was appointed by former President Joe Biden -- regularly did in statements before President Donald Trump came to office.
In a social media post, he listed the names and ages -- which ranged from 3 to 17 -- of the nine children who died, while calling out Washington for Brink's statement.
"Unfortunately, the response from the US Embassy is surprisingly disappointing -- such a strong country, such a strong people, and yet such a weak reaction," he wrote.
SEE ALSO: Russia Seeks To Fill Ranks With Raids And 'Comfortable Waiting Rooms'"They are afraid to even say the word 'Russian' when speaking about the missile that murdered children."
A day of mourning has been declared for April 6 over the tragedy in Kryviy Rih, Ukrainian officials said.
The Russian strikes were one of the deadliest against civilians this year, Ukrainian officials said, and they've sparked a fresh outcry inside Ukraine that Moscow is not committed to ending the war amid ongoing US-led negotiations with both countries to broker a cease-fire.
"We must put pressure on Russia, which chooses to kill children instead of a cease-fire. We must introduce additional sanctions against those who cannot exist without ballistic strikes on neighboring people," Zelenskyy said.
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Mourners Leave Flowers, Toys For Victims Of Russian Strike In Kryviy Rih
Kyiv has accused Moscow of using cluster munitions on civilian targets before, but their use in the attack in Kryviy Rih adds new tensions to anger over the attacks amid efforts to strike a truce.
The weapons release smaller bomblets across a wide area to maximize an attack, with some of them detonating long after the attack, posing a continued danger to the local population.
The Ukrainian president said the attack was further evidence that additional pressure on Moscow is required to broker a cease-fire for the war.
He added that discussions have occurred with Washington about procuring more air-defense systems, saying the recent strike highlights the urgent need for them.
"We are counting on our agreements with the president of the United States, who promised to help with the search for additional 'patriots,'" he said, referring the US missile-defense system.
Trump Threatens Russia With Sanctions
US President Donald Trump has made ending the war a top foreign policy priority since taking office less than three months ago, putting pressure on both sides through various means.
Earlier this week, he reiterated threats to sanction Russian oil if Russian President Vladimir Putin was an obstacle to achieving peace.
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Russian Drone Strike Kills Five In Kharkiv
Meanwhile, at a NATO summit of foreign ministers in Brussels this week, several of Europe's top diplomats called out Putin for failing to agree to a US-led peace proposal to end the war. Ukraine has already signed on to the deal.
The Kremlin said on April 4 that Putin and Trump had no plans to talk after a visit to Washington by the Russian president's investment envoy as wider negotiations over a Ukraine truce appeared to have slowed.