Trump casts doubt on reports of Ukraine striking Putin’s residence
Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump stated that he does not believe Ukraine attacked Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region, according to a White House broadcast.
During a press briefing, Trump was reminded that, according to his previous comments, he would have been very angry at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy if Zelenskyy had directly organized the attack on Putin’s residence. However, the US president said he does not believe the attack actually took place.
“I don't believe that strike happened,” the White House chief said.
Journalists then pointed out that it was Putin himself who told Trump about the attack on his residence. They asked why Trump believed Putin and why he immediately mentioned it publicly during a joint appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The president replied:
“Because nobody knew at that moment. I mean that was the first I heard about it. He said that his house was attacked. We don't believe that happened as it, you know, now that we've been able to check, but that was the first we ever heard about it,” Trump said.
The president also noted that under former President Joe Biden, the US had given Ukraine $350 billion, whereas under Trump, most of that money was returned. According to him, this happened thanks to a deal involving rare earth metals.
What preceded the claims
On December 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that Ukraine had allegedly attacked President Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region. He warned that Moscow’s negotiating position would be reconsidered and that targets and timing of a retaliatory strike would be determined.
Two days later, Russia released a fake map allegedly showing Ukrainian drones flying toward Putin’s residence.
Ukraine denied these accusations, stating that Putin was looking for a pretext to damage US–Ukraine relations and to weaken Kyiv’s negotiating position in talks aimed at ending the war.
On the night of January 1, The Wall Street Journal, citing assessments from US national security agencies and the CIA, reported that Ukraine had not struck President Vladimir Putin or any of his residences.
