Trump’s ‘Let Them Fight’ Remark Draws Attention as Russian Strikes Kill Four in Kyiv

By Kamaran Aziz

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A deadly wave of Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, left four civilians dead and at least 20 others wounded early Friday, according to a statement by Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The assault came shortly after remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who likened the war to a playground fight and suggested it may be better to let both sides “fight for a while” before stepping in to mediate.

Klitschko confirmed the rising death toll via the Telegram messaging platform, stating, “Four fatalities have been confirmed in the capital. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing in several locations.”

According to Ukrainian officials, the strikes included ballistic missiles and Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicles. Multiple explosions echoed across Kyiv in the early hours, triggering widespread fires and structural damage as air defense units scrambled to intercept incoming threats.

In the Solomianskyi district, a fire broke out on the 11th floor of a 16-story residential building, from which three individuals were evacuated by emergency crews. Another fire was reported at a metal warehouse. Meanwhile, in Chernihiv to the north, an Iran-made Shahed drone exploded near a residential structure, shattering windows and doors, while further missile blasts were recorded on the city’s outskirts, according to regional military chief Dmytro Bryzhynskyi.

The renewed attacks came just hours after Trump, speaking from the Oval Office during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, drew a comparison between the war and a conflict between children. “Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy... and you try and pull them apart. They don’t want to be pulled,” Trump said. “Sometimes you’re better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart.”

Trump claimed he shared this analogy directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a recent phone call. “President, maybe you’re going to have to keep fighting and suffering a lot, because both sides are suffering, before they’re able to be pulled apart,” he recounted telling Putin.

The U.S. president further claimed that Ukrainian forces had launched attacks “deep into Russia,” which he said was cited by Putin as justification for Moscow’s response. “He [Putin] actually told me... we have no choice but to attack based on that,” Trump stated, adding that he had advised against escalation but acknowledged the complexity of hostilities.

Asked whether there was a deadline to act, Trump said, “Yeah, it’s in my brain... when I see the moment where it’s not going to stop, we’ll be very, very, very tough. And it could be on both countries to be honest.”

Chancellor Merz, seated beside Trump, reiterated the urgency of halting the conflict. “We are both looking for ways to stop it very soon... The president [Trump] is the key person in the world who can really do that now by putting pressure on Russia.”

He added, “We are on the side of Ukraine, and we are trying to get them stronger and stronger, just to make Putin stop this war. And this is our approach.”

Merz also stated that Ukraine was targeting military positions and not Russian civilians. The meeting marked the first in-person encounter between the two leaders, during which they explored potential joint U.S.-European steps to end the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Trump’s comments have drawn varied reactions from European officials and commentators, with some questioning the tone of the analogy, while others emphasized the need for coordinated diplomatic efforts.

As rescue workers continued combing through rubble in Kyiv, the attack served as a stark reminder of the human cost of the conflict, even as international discussions on its resolution continued.