Zelenskyy rejects Russian claim of attack on Putin residence

Zelenskyy rejects Russian claim of attack on Putin residence
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a press conference on the day of the European Union leaders' summit in Brussels, Belgium, 18 December, 2025
Reuters

Russia accused Ukraine of trying to attack President Vladimir Putin’s residence on Monday, an allegation dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “complete fabrication” amidst sensitive peace negotiations.

The exchange added to tensions between the two countries, with Russia saying it was reviewing its position in negotiations in response to the alleged attack, dealing a fresh blow to already fragile peace efforts.

U.S. President Donald Trump said President Vladimir Putin had told him about the incident during a phone call on Monday morning and said the allegation had angered him. Despite that, Trump said he still believed a peace agreement could be close.

“It’s one thing to be offensive,” Trump told reporters. “It’s another thing to attack his house. It’s not the right time to do any of that. And I learned about it from President Putin today. I was very angry about it.”

Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida on Sunday and later said the two sides were “getting a lot closer, maybe very close” to ending the war, although he acknowledged that “thorny” territorial issues remained unresolved.

Earlier on Monday, President Putin adopted a defiant tone, urging Russian forces to press ahead with efforts to gain full control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. The Kremlin also repeated its demand that Ukraine withdraw from the remaining parts of the eastern Donbas region under Kyiv’s control.

A Kremlin aide said Putin told Trump during their phone call that Russia was reassessing its stance in talks following the reported drone attack.

Zelenskyy rejected the accusation, calling it “a complete fabrication” and accusing the Kremlin of failing to take the steps needed to end the war.

Speaking to reporters later outside his home in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said he had no further information about the alleged incident. Asked whether U.S. intelligence agencies had evidence to support Russia’s claim, he replied: “We’ll find out.”

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