Putin Bombs Kyiv's Bridges. Trump Holds the Cards. Here's How America Wins This Winter
Moscow answered a U.S. peace push with strikes on a capital city. In our view, that shows exactly who stands in the way, and why Trump's leverage strategy is the right one.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Senior Features Writer | October 4, 2026 | 6-min read On Saturday, Oct. 3, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city's Northern Bridge had been struck from the air. Two people were injured, and the road surface and trolleybus wires were damaged [1]. For the first time in this war, Russia was going after the bridges that tie Kyiv together. It came a week after President Trump's team put a path to peace on the table. Key Takeaways This week Russia struck bridges across the Dnipro River in Kyiv for the first time, and its Foreign Ministry told foreign diplomats and nationals to leave the city [1][2]. The Trump administration has spent weeks pushing an energy ceasefire, a reopened Black Sea grain corridor and new three-way talks. Ukraine says it is ready for an energy truce. Moscow has not committed [4][5][6]. In our view, President Trump has built real leverage, with Europe paying most of the bill and a promise of Patriot production rights for Ukraine. He should now use that leverage to make Putin choose. Why this matters to you: this war shapes diesel prices, NATO's security and how America's word is judged around the world. The record this winter will show which side wanted peace, and which side sent missiles. A Week of Escalation Kyiv's Southern Bridge was hit several times over the two days before the Northern Bridge strike, causing traffic chaos across the capital. Eight bridges connect the western and eastern banks of the Dnipro in Kyiv [1].