After Trump Defends Putin At G7, Russia Launches Massive Deadly Attack On Kyiv, Killing American Citizen

After President Donald Trump urged members of the G7 summit to bring Russia back into the intergovernmental forum, Russia launched a deadly attack on Kyiv, killing 15 people, one of whom was an American citizen.

The strikes were reported to be the most lethal Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital this year as residential areas in the city were bombarded overnight.

As the 51st G7 Summit began Monday, Trump pleaded to world leaders to reinstate Russia into the group after the country was ousted in 2014 after it invaded Crimea.

Trump referred to Russia’s removal as a “big mistake” and claimed its ongoing war with Ukraine would have never happened had the country not been removed.

Trump also claimed that he has a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he believed was offended by Russia’s exclusion from the G7.

“He doesn’t speak to anybody else. He doesn’t want to talk because he was very insulted when he got thrown out of the G8, as I would be,” said Trump.

According to Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, the 62-year-old American was pronounced dead at the scene. No additional details were provided.

Despite Trump’s insistence on inviting Russia back into the G7, the latest attack is another demonstration of Putin’s disinterest in ending the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated his warnings about Putin.

“Putin does this solely because he can afford to continue the war. He wants the war to go on,” said Zelensky in a post to social media. “It is wrong when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to it. The terrorists must feel the pain—not innocent, peaceful people.”

The U.S. State Department has yet to comment on the incident or the death of the American citizen.