The U.S. embassy in Kyiv warned on Friday of a “potentially significant” air attack in the approaching days.
“The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has received information concerning a potentially significant air attack which will occur at any time over the following several days,” the embassy said on its website.
“The Embassy, as all the time, recommends U.S. residents be prepared to right away shelter within the event an air alert is announced.”
The alert was issued a day after U.S. President Donald Trump repeated his call for a 30-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, warning of additional sanctions against people who violate it.
Asked by reporters within the Oval Office Friday if he had a message for Russia in light of the U.S. embassy’s warning, Trump told “each parties” to “get this silly war finished.”
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While Ukraine has said it’s able to adopt the ceasefire immediately, Russia has only proposed a three-day ceasefire this week — a truce that Ukraine has said Russia violated a whole lot of times through continued attacks.
Trump had a “superb and productive” call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, the White House said, adding that Trump hopes each Ukraine and Russia will agree next week to the proposed 30-day ceasefire.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, talking to reporters at a White House briefing on Friday, also reiterated that a Trump meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week within the Middle East was not going to occur.
In Kyiv, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said he spoke by telephone on Friday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials concerning the proposed ceasefire as a part of moves towards a peace agreement.
“The important focus was the query of the ceasefire and prospects for a peace settlement,” Yermak wrote on Telegram, adding that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg had also taken part. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov was also present.
“Also discussed was the importance of implementing the points on which our presidents agreed,” Yermak wrote.
Zelenskyy said Friday that Kyiv will host a gathering of European leaders of the so-called “coalition of the willing” on Saturday.
—With additional files from Global News
