Trump rejects Kremlin claim of Ukrainian drone strike on Putin residence

President Donald Trump on Sunday said US officials have determined that Ukraine did not target a residence belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack last week, contradicting claims made by the Kremlin.

Trump rejects Kremlin drone claim

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had alleged that Ukraine launched a wave of drones at Putin’s state residence in Russia’s northwestern Novgorod region, an attack that Russian air defences were able to intercept. Lavrov also criticised Kyiv for carrying out the alleged strike at a time when negotiations to end the war were intensifying.

The Russian allegation came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to Florida for talks with Trump on the US administration’s still-evolving 20-point plan aimed at ending the war. Zelenskyy swiftly denied the Kremlin’s claim.

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Speaking to reporters while travelling back to Washington after spending two weeks at his Florida home, Trump said US intelligence assessments did not support the Russian version of events.

“Something happened nearby” Putin’s residence, Trump said, but American officials found no evidence that the Russian president’s home was directly targeted. “I don't believe that strike happened,” Trump told reporters. “We don't believe that happened, now that we've been able to check.”

Peace talks clouded by allegations

Trump’s remarks followed criticism from European officials, who argued that Moscow’s claim was an attempt to derail peace efforts by casting doubt on Ukraine’s intentions.

However, Trump had initially appeared to accept the Russian allegation. Last Monday, he told reporters that Putin had raised the issue during a phone call earlier that day, adding that he was “very angry” about the accusation.

By midweek, Trump appeared to retreat from that position. On Wednesday, he shared a New York Post editorial on his social media platform that questioned the credibility of the Russian claim. The editorial criticised Putin for choosing “lies, hatred, and death” at a moment Trump has described as “closer than ever before” to a potential agreement to end the war.

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The US president has struggled to deliver on his campaign pledge to quickly end the Ukraine war and has shown frustration with both Zelenskyy and Putin as he attempts to mediate a settlement. Trump had repeatedly claimed on the campaign trail that he could end the conflict in a single day.

Both Trump and Zelenskyy said last week that progress was made during their talks at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, has shown little inclination to end the war unless Moscow’s core objectives are met.

These include securing control over all Ukrainian territory in the industrial Donbas region and imposing strict limitations on the size of Ukraine’s post-war military and the weaponry it can possess.

(With agency inputs)