Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised "tangible progress" on a potential peacekeeping force after meeting with French and British military leaders, shortly after criticizing Washington for what he said was a "weak" response to the latest Russian airstrike that killed nine children, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.
"There is tangible progress and the first details on how the security contingent of partners can be deployed," Zelensky said on social media on April 5, without providing specific details.
The statements came after Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrsky and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with British Chief of the General Staff Tony Radakin and French counterpart Thierry Burkard in Kiev.
At least three people were injured and several fires broke out in Kiev early this morning after a Russian missile attack, the mayor and military administration of the Ukrainian capital said, Reuters reported.
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In early March, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the formation of a "coalition of the willing" to establish a military mission in Ukraine, although progress has been slow and many issues remain unresolved.
French President Emmanuel Macron has also taken a leading role in efforts to create what he calls a "force of persuasion" for Ukraine after any end to the war that has become increasingly deadly since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
"Together with the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine, we are continuing our discussions on long-term support for the Ukrainian people," Macron wrote yesterday on the social network X.
"First, for their army, which is - and will remain - their first line of defense; and second, on a possible deterrent force, deployed behind the line of contact to deter any renewed Russian aggression," Macron added.
British Defense Secretary John Healy is scheduled to host defense ministers from European Union (EU) member states in Brussels on April 10 to discuss Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense in London said.
Hill will then lead the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine with his German counterpart the following day.
Earlier, Zelensky sharply criticized what he called the "weak" response of the United States (US) to a Russian airstrike that hit a playground in Kryvyi Rih, which, according to the latest statements from local officials reported by Reuters, killed at least 19 people, nine of whom were children.
Moscow claimed that the attack, late on April 4th -- which Kiev said involved the use of cluster munitions -- was on a military gathering.
Verified photos and videos from the scene, however, showed destruction at a playground in a residential area in the city of Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky's hometown, according to Radio Free Europe.
The US ambassador to Kiev, Bridget Brink, said in a social media post that she was "horrified" by the attack, which also injured at least 74 people, saying "that's why this war must end."
But Zelensky condemned the statement for not naming Russia, something Brink, who was appointed by former US President Joseph Biden, regularly did in statements before President Donald Trump came to power in the US.
In a post on social media, he listed the names and ages of the nine children who died, aged three to 17, while criticizing Washington for Ambassador Brink's statement.
"Unfortunately, the response from the US embassy is surprisingly disappointing – such a strong country, such a strong people, yet such a weak response," he wrote.
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