BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
President Donald Trump said on Sunday that U.S. officials have determined that Ukraine did not target a residence belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a reported drone incident last week, directly disputing claims made by the Kremlin that briefly drew concern from the White House.
Speaking to reporters while traveling back to Washington after a two-week stay at his Florida home, Trump said American intelligence assessments concluded that Putin’s residence was not the intended target of any Ukrainian drone activity. His remarks marked a clear shift from his initial reaction to the Russian allegation, which had added tension to already fragile diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had claimed last week that Ukraine launched a wave of drones toward Putin’s state residence in the northwestern Novgorod region, asserting that Russian air defenses successfully intercepted the aircraft. Lavrov criticized Kyiv for allegedly carrying out such an attack at a time when negotiations to resolve the conflict were intensifying, portraying the incident as a deliberate provocation.
Trump rejected that characterization, saying U.S. officials found no evidence to support the Russian account. “Something happened nearby,” Trump said, referring to activity in the general area, “but we don’t believe that residence was targeted. We don’t believe that happened, now that we’ve been able to check.”
The Kremlin’s accusation emerged just a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Florida for talks with Trump on the administration’s still-developing plan to bring an end to the war. Zelenskyy quickly denied any Ukrainian involvement in an attack on Putin’s residence, calling the claim baseless.
European officials also expressed skepticism about Moscow’s version of events, arguing that the allegation appeared designed to undermine diplomatic momentum and cast doubt on Ukraine’s intentions as negotiations gathered pace. Several Western diplomats privately described the claim as part of a broader Russian effort to shape the narrative ahead of potential talks.
Trump, however, initially appeared to give weight to Putin’s assertion. Last Monday, he told reporters that the Russian leader had raised the issue during a phone call earlier that day, and Trump said he was “very angry” about the accusation at the time. The comments fueled speculation that the alleged incident could derail progress toward negotiations.
By midweek, the president’s tone had softened. Trump shared an editorial from the New York Post on his social media platform that questioned the credibility of the Russian claim and criticized Putin for escalating rhetoric at a moment Trump has described as a rare opportunity for progress. The editorial accused the Russian leader of choosing confrontation over compromise as talks edged closer to a potential breakthrough.
The episode highlights the difficulties Trump has faced in trying to deliver on his campaign promise to bring a swift end to the war in Ukraine. While he has repeatedly said he believes a deal is possible, he has also shown growing frustration with both Zelenskyy and Putin as fighting continues and negotiations remain uncertain.
Trump and Zelenskyy said last week that their discussions in Florida had produced meaningful progress, though neither side disclosed detailed terms of the proposed framework. The plan is said to include phased steps toward a ceasefire, security guarantees, and negotiations over territory, but it remains under refinement.
Putin, for his part, has shown little public willingness to conclude the conflict without securing Russia’s core demands. Those objectives include full control over Ukrainian territory in the industrial Donbas region and strict limits on the size and capabilities of Ukraine’s postwar military. Ukrainian officials have consistently rejected those conditions, arguing they would leave the country vulnerable to future aggression.
As diplomatic efforts continue, Trump’s latest comments appear aimed at tamping down tensions and keeping negotiations on track, even as deep divisions remain over the path to ending Europe’s largest conflict in decades.
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