Putin tells Trump Ukraine attacked his residence, which Kyiv denies
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Putin during a State Council meeting at the Kremlin on Thursday. Photo: Contributor/Getty Image
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in a call with President Trump on Monday — their second in 24 hours — that Ukraine conducted a drone attack targeting one of his official residences, a claim Kyiv immediately denied.
Why it matters: Putin told Trump that Russia would revise its negotiating position based on the alleged attack, according to Moscow's readout. It's the latest indication the Kremlin is disinclined to accept the deal the U.S. and Ukraine have been negotiating for weeks.
The latest: Trump told reporters he was "very angry" when Putin informed him of the attack, saying it was one thing to "be offensive" but another thing "to attack his house."
- 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.
Driving the news: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed on Monday that Russian air defenses destroyed 91 long-range drones heading for the Dolgiye Borody residence in the Novgorod region, located between Moscow and St. Petersburg.
- Lavrov provided no evidence for his claim but said Russia had already selected targets for retaliatory strikes.
- Putin's top foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said the Russian president told Trump, "Such reckless terrorist actions will not go unanswered."
- Soviet and Russian leaders have used Dolgiye Borody as a holiday retreat, but it's not Putin's principal residence, and it's unclear if he was there in recent days.
The other side: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Russia fabricated the attack to undermine U.S.–Ukraine diplomacy and "justify additional attacks against Ukraine."
- Zelensky noted that Russia had previously attacked government buildings in Kyiv but denied that Ukraine would do the same, saying: "This is one of many differences between us."
State of play: Ushakov claimed Trump was "shocked" and "outraged" by the attack in the call with Putin.
- The White House has not offered a readout of the call beyond calling it "productive." According to Moscow, Trump also briefed Putin on Sunday's meeting with Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago, and they discussed "the need for Ukraine to make real steps towards a settlement."
- Ushakov said Putin told Trump he was still willing to work toward peace but that the alleged drone attack had changed things.
The big picture: U.S. and Ukrainian officials have both spoken optimistically about progress over several weeks of intensive negotiations, though Sunday's meeting ended without major announcements.
- The sides have reached consensus on most major issues other than territory, and Zelensky told Axios on Friday that he was willing to put the full plan — including territorial concessions — up for a referendum if Russia would agree to a two-month ceasefire to allow the voting to take place.
- Putin has rejected the idea of a ceasefire in the past and reportedly did so once again in a call with Trump on Sunday.
- Many analysts believe Moscow has no intention of taking the deal the U.S. and Ukraine have been negotiating, though Trump reiterated on Sunday that he thinks Putin is serious about peace.
The intrigue: The purported drone attack may give Moscow a way to scuttle those diplomatic efforts without facing the brunt of Trump's anger.
