New Delhi: US President Donald Trump said he was “very angry” after Russian President Vladimir Putin informed him of an alleged Ukrainian attempt to attack one of his residences. The incident, which Moscow claims involved a large-scale drone strike, has further intensified tensions between Russia and Ukraine at a sensitive diplomatic moment.
Speaking to reporters in Florida, Trump said Putin contacted him early in the morning to relay details of the alleged attack. Trump described the claim as unacceptable and said targeting a leader’s residence was wrong, especially at a time when discussions around ending the conflict were ongoing. He also acknowledged that the incident may not have occurred, stating that uncertainty remained about the accuracy of the claim.
According to Russian officials, Ukraine allegedly launched long-range drones at a residence linked to Putin in the Novgorod region on December 28 and 29. It was claimed that 91 drones were involved and that all were intercepted by Russian air defence systems. Moscow asserted that Trump was shocked and outraged upon hearing about the alleged strike during his conversation with Putin.
Ukraine strongly rejected the accusation, dismissing it as false and describing it as another example of misinformation from Russia. Kyiv maintained that it had no involvement in any such attack and denied launching drones at Putin’s residence.
Russia further claimed that Trump reacted strongly during his discussions with Putin and suggested that Ukraine would not have attempted such an action if it had access to more advanced weapons. Russian officials also quoted Trump as expressing relief that the United States had not supplied long-range missile systems to Kyiv.
Trump confirmed that he spoke with Putin twice within a 24-hour period, shortly after holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida. Despite the controversy, Trump described his conversations with the Russian leader as productive and said they addressed several difficult issues. He added that progress toward peace was possible if key challenges could be resolved.
Meanwhile, Trump said discussions with Zelenskyy had brought both sides closer to an agreement to end the war, although major differences remained. At the same time, Putin signaled no immediate shift in military posture, urging continued efforts to secure full control of the Zaporizhzhia region while reiterating demands for Ukrainian withdrawals from contested eastern territories.
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