Key events
Morning opening: Death toll in Kyiv rises to 26 as Ukraine calls for UN security council meeting
Jakub Krupa
The death toll from Thursday’s Russian attack on Kyiv has risen to 26 with over 150 injured, making it one of the deadliest attacks on the capital since the start of the full-scale war in 2022.
Responding to the attack, Ukraine called for an emergency meeting of the UN security council this afternoon as it seeks to unite its allies and ramp up pressure on Russia to end the war.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said the meeting, scheduled for afternoon European time, will be a platform for countries to make it clear where they stand.
“Putin rejects peace efforts and wants to prolong his war. And the world has the necessary strength to stop him – by united pressure and principled position in favor of a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire,” he said.
Andriy Yermak, the most senior aide to president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, did not mince his words reacting to the news this morning as he spoke of “Russian murderers.”
US president Donald Trump, who recently set a new deadline for Russia to end the invasion until 8 August, told journalists that it was “disgusting what they are doing.”
“We’re going to put sanctions. I don’t know that sanctions bother him,” the US president said, referring to Putin.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who currently is in Israel, will be told to visit Russia next, he added.
Elsewhere, I will be keeping an eye on the latest on the EU-US trade, after Trump signed his executive order, but delayed the effects of sanctions by a week, until 7 August. You can follow market reactions on our business blog, too.
I will bring you all key updates from across Europe here.
It’s Friday, 1 August 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.