US President Donald Trump on Monday reacted sharply to reports claiming that Ukrainian drones targeted the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking to the media at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said Putin had personally called him to inform about the alleged attack. Trump described the incident as “not good” and said it made him angry, while also conceding that the reports could turn out to be false.
According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Ukraine attempted to strike Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region on December 28 and 29 using 91 long-range drones. He claimed that Russia’s air defence systems successfully intercepted all the drones, preventing any damage. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly denied the allegations, dismissing them as false claims made by Russia.
Despite the heightened tensions, Trump said his conversations with Putin were productive and focused on resolving complex issues to restore peace. He revealed that he had spoken to Putin twice within 24 hours and also met Zelenskyy recently, asserting that the parties were close to reaching an agreement to end the war, even as Russia continued military moves, including orders to secure full control over the Zaporizhzhia region.