- Category
- Latest news
Starmer Calls Out Putin’s “Barbaric” Strikes on Ukraine During Call With Trump
- Authors
![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned Russia’s latest missile and drone strikes on Ukraine as “barbaric” during a phone call with US President Donald Trump on February 3, as reported by Fox News
The call followed one of the most extensive air assaults by Russia in recent weeks, targeting Ukraine’s critical infrastructure amid sub-zero temperatures.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
“Putin’s brutal attacks on critical national infrastructure, including energy systems, were especially appalling when temperatures fell below -20°C,” Fox News quoted Starmer as saying, referencing an official UK government statement.
Before the call with Starmer, President Trump spoke to reporters at the White House, acknowledging that he had directly appealed to Russian leader Vladimir Putin to halt strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure for one week due to extreme winter weather.
Trump stated that Putin “kept his word” and described the pause, which lasted from January 25 to February 1, as a “very nice” gesture.
“He [Putin] kept his word. One week is a long time… it’s very, very cold there,” Trump said, as cited by Tribuna.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later told reporters that the observed reduction in attacks did not begin until the night of January 30. The discrepancy in dates between Ukrainian and Kremlin officials underscores differing interpretations of any informal agreements.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, more than 500 drones and missiles were launched across the country overnight on February 3. Strikes were confirmed on at least 27 sites, primarily in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, and Odesa regions. The attacks caused significant damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, worsening humanitarian conditions amid a severe cold spell.
The escalation occurred just ahead of scheduled trilateral talks between Ukraine, the US, and Russia, set for February 4–5 in Abu Dhabi. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told that the initial pause in attacks had been intended to create “favorable conditions” for those negotiations.
Earlier on February 3, US Senator Lindsey Graham urged President Trump to begin supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles, calling Russia’s latest attacks proof that existing pressure on Vladimir Putin is failing. In a post on X, Graham also backed targeting buyers of Russian oil and cited US tariffs on India as a model for curbing Moscow’s war funding.
-7f54d6f9a1e9b10de9b3e7ee663a18d9.png)
-1966fb7bef3fb9ca89a4128df05f0efb.jpg "Kazakhstan Deports Crimean Open AI Developer to Russia, Where He’s Charged With Treason")