• Putin informed Trump of alleged attack during Monday phone call, describing shock and outrage
• Ukraine dismissed claims as fabricated lies designed to derail peace negotiations
• Russia threatens retaliatory strikes while insisting it won’t withdraw from talks

MOSCOW (TDR) — Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday that Russia will review its position in Ukraine peace negotiations following an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on one of his official residences. However, Ukraine has strongly denied the accusations.

Russia’s Claims

According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Ukraine launched 91 long-range drones targeting Putin’s Valdai presidential residence in the Novgorod region overnight Monday. Russian air defenses allegedly destroyed all the drones before they reached the site. Notably, Lavrov said no damage or casualties resulted from the incident.

“Such reckless actions will not go unanswered. The targets of retaliatory strikes and the timing of their execution by the Russian Armed Forces have been determined.”

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Moreover, Lavrov’s statement was unusual as Russia’s Defense Ministry typically reports drone attacks. Earlier Monday, the ministry said it downed only 89 Ukrainian drones nationwide, with just 18 over the Novgorod region—conflicting with Lavrov’s figures.

Trump’s Response

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Trump was “shocked” and “outraged” when Putin informed him of the alleged attack during their second phone call in 24 hours. Subsequently, Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence that he was “very angry” about the incident.

“You know who told me about it? President Putin, early in the morning, he said he was attacked. It’s no good,” Trump said. Furthermore, he added: “It’s a delicate period of time. This is not the right time. It’s one thing to be offensive because they’re offensive. It’s another thing to attack his house.”

When asked whether U.S. intelligence confirmed the attack actually happened, Trump said “I guess” it’s possible it didn’t but he believed what Putin told him.

Ukraine’s Denial

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately called the Russian accusations “typical Russian lies” and “a complete fabrication.” Additionally, he warned that Moscow was preparing the ground to strike government buildings in Kyiv.

“This is fake information and extremely dangerous. Russia is trying to sabotage diplomatic efforts to end the war and justify continued strikes on Ukraine.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed Zelenskyy’s comments, urging the world to “condemn the provocative Russian statements aimed at derailing the constructive peace process.” In addition, he emphasized that Ukraine strikes only legitimate military targets in Russian territory.

Impact on Peace Negotiations

The alleged attack comes at a critical moment in U.S.-brokered peace talks. On Sunday, Trump hosted Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago, where both leaders expressed optimism about progress. Indeed, Zelenskyy described the negotiations as “90 percent” completed.

However, Lavrov connected the alleged attack directly to the timing of these talks. “We draw attention to the fact that this action was carried out during a period of intensive negotiations between Russia and the United States on a settlement of the Ukrainian conflict,” he said.

According to Ushakov, Putin told Trump that Russia’s negotiating position would be revised “on a number of agreements reached at the previous stage.” Nevertheless, the Kremlin insisted it does “not intend to withdraw from the negotiation process with the United States.”

Key Sticking Points

Major issues remain unresolved in the peace talks. Particularly, Russia demands that Ukraine hand over the remaining areas of the Donbas region still under its control. Conversely, Zelenskyy says Ukraine can only cede territory via a referendum, citing the country’s constitution.

For a referendum to take place, Zelenskyy insists there must be a temporary ceasefire of at least 60 days to ensure security. However, the Kremlin has repeatedly rejected calls for a temporary ceasefire, arguing that Ukraine would use the pause to rearm and regroup.

Earlier Monday, Zelenskyy revealed that the United States was offering Ukraine security guarantees for 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan. Nevertheless, he said he would prefer an American commitment of up to 50 years to deter Russia from further attempts to seize Ukrainian land.

White House Statement

Following the controversy, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Trump “concluded a positive call with President Putin regarding Ukraine,” without disclosing further details about the conversation.

Will Russia’s threatened review of its negotiating position derail the peace talks, or is Moscow using the alleged attack as leverage in the negotiations?

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