ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) – President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that U.S. officials have concluded that Ukraine did not intentionally target the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a drone attack last week. This remark contradicted claims made by the Kremlin, which initially raised concerns for Trump.
Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov alleged that Ukraine launched a series of drones at Putin’s state residence in the Novgorod region, although he claimed Russian defense systems were able to intercept the threat. Lavrov further criticized Ukraine for the timing of the alleged attack, as it coincided with ongoing negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict.
This allegation emerged shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Florida for discussions with Trump regarding the U.S. administration’s 20-point plan to end the war. Zelenskyy promptly denied the accusation made by the Kremlin.
During his return trip to Washington after spending two weeks at his Florida residence, Trump commented that while there was an event “nearby” Putin’s residence, American officials had determined that it was not targeted. “I don’t believe that strike happened,” Trump stated, emphasizing that this conclusion was reached after further investigation.
Trump’s remarks came amidst a backdrop where European officials suggested that the Russian claims were merely an attempt to discredit peace efforts. Initially, Trump had seemed to accept the Russian allegations as credible, mentioning that Putin had brought up the subject in their phone conversation earlier that same day and expressing that he was “very angry” about the accusations.
However, as the week progressed, Trump appeared to reconsider his stance on the Russian assertion. By Wednesday, he shared a link on his social media platform to a New York Post editorial that raised doubts regarding the validity of the Russian claims, which criticized Putin for opting for “lies, hatred, and death” when negotiations to restore peace should be prioritized.
The U.S. president has faced challenges in fulfilling a commitment to swiftly bring an end to the war in Ukraine, expressing frustration toward both Zelenskyy and Putin while attempting to mediate a resolution to a conflict he has claimed could be settled in a single day.
Nonetheless, both Trump and Zelenskyy indicated they had made progress during their discussions at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Yet, Putin has shown little interest in ending the conflict unless all Russian objectives are achieved, including full control over Ukrainian territory in the important Donbas region and implementing stringent limitations on the size and weaponry of Ukraine’s post-war military.
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Reported from Washington.
Darlene Superville And Aamer Madhani, The Associated Press
