Trump says Russian strike on Kyiv could hinder Ukraine peace efforts after discussing war with Xi
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that a Russian missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv that killed 24 people could complicate efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from China, confirmed he discussed the conflict with Chinese President Xi Jinping and that both leaders want the fighting to stop. The strike, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said was carried out with a Kh-101 cruise missile, was one of the deadliest attacks on the capital since Russia's full-scale invasion began.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that a Russian missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv that killed 24 people could complicate efforts to end the war in Ukraine, as he returned from a summit in Beijing where he discussed the conflict with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from China on Friday, May 15, 2026, Trump confirmed he discussed the war in Ukraine with Xi. "It's one that we'd like to see settled. Until last night, it was looking good, but they [the Ukrainians] took a big hit last night. So it's gonna happen [the end of the war]. But it's a shame," Trump said, referring to the Russian strike on Kyiv.
The strike, which hit an apartment building in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district, killed 24 people, including three children. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the building was hit by a Kh-101 cruise missile manufactured in the second quarter of 2026. Zelenskyy laid red roses on the rubble and called for Russia to be punished. The overnight attack on May 13-14 saw Russian forces launch 56 missiles and 675 drones.
Trump's visit to China was his first since returning to office and the first US presidential trip to Beijing in nearly a decade. During the summit, Xi warned that tensions over Taiwan could push the US and China toward direct conflict. Trump also said the US and China "feel very similar" about ending the war in Iran but offered no details. China's foreign ministry called for a ceasefire in Iran and said the Strait of Hormuz should be opened "as soon as possible."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit China next week and meet Xi. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a phone call with Trump while Trump was returning from China, during which they discussed the war in Ukraine. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged a lack of "a fruitful outcome" in the peace process but said the United States remains ready to mediate.