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
Label: Altas World News Opinion Estimated read time: 7 minutes 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. A week of escalation For the first time in this war, Russia went after the bridges that tie Kyiv together. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Saturday, Oct. 3, that the city's Northern Bridge was struck from the air. Two people were injured, and the road surface and trolleybus wires were damaged [1]. The strike came after Kyiv's Southern Bridge was hit several times over the previous two days, causing traffic chaos across the capital [1]. Eight bridges connect the western and eastern banks of the Dnipro in Kyiv [1]. The attacks did not stop at the capital. Russian strikes killed at least six people across Ukraine. In Kharkiv, drones and guided bombs killed five people and wounded more than 40, according to the regional head. In the Odesa region, a sailor was killed when Russian forces struck a civilian cargo ship [2]. Then came the threat. Russia's Foreign Ministry warned foreign diplomats and nationals to leave Kyiv. "The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will continue to deliver massive retaliatory strikes," it said [1]. Russia says its strikes are retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory [3]. What Zelensky says Moscow is planning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Reuters that Ukrainian intelligence obtained documents showing Vladimir Putin had issued a "new doctrine" of broader attacks…