Russia has accused Ukraine of trying to attack President Vladimir Putin’s residence in Northern Russia.
Although it provided no evidence to back up an assertion that Kyiv dismissed as baseless and designed to undermine peace negotiations.
The angry exchanges, including a statement by Russia that it was reviewing its stance in negotiations in response to the attack, dealt a new blow to prospects for peace in Ukraine.
Putin also ordered his army to press on with a campaign to take full control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, and the Kremlin repeated demands for Kyiv to pull its forces out of the last part of the Donbas area still under Ukraine’s control.
Elsewhere, on Sunday, US President Donald Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida and said they were getting a lot closer, maybe very close to an agreement to end the war, despite territorial issues remaining.
Russia’s Accusation Against the Ukrainian Government
The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov alleged that Kyiv launched an attack on President Putin’s residence in Russia’s Novgorod region.
He claimed Kyiv launched the attack using 91 long-range drones, adding that Moscow will review its position on a planned peace deal with Ukraine due to the alleged attack.
Lavrov added that there were no reports of casualties or damage from the attack.
Also Read: Russia Claims 1,350 Ukrainian Soldiers Killed on Multiple Fronts in Ukraine
Elsewhere, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied allegations by Russia that Ukraine launched a drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences and accused Moscow of trying to derail peace talks.
Zelensky dismissed the claim as typical Russian lies, claiming that it came a day after he met with Trump for almost three hours in Florida.
“Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump’s team. We keep working together to bring peace closer,” Zelensky posted on X.
Donald Trump’s Talk on the Progress on the Ukraine Peace Deal
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Progress on the Ukraine Peace Deal, despite territorial disputes.
On Sunday, however, he highlighted that, despite progress, there has been no breakthrough on the issue of territory after new talks with the warring countries.
“We have made a lot of progress on ending that war. We will see if it gets done, but it’s very close, certainly. One issue is unresolved, but it’s getting a lot closer. That’s a very tough issue, but I think it will get resolved,” said Trump.
In a pre-New Year’s diplomatic push, Trump hosted Zelenskyy at his Florida estate, where the Ukrainian leader described a peace plan as 95 percent complete, despite Russia launching major new attacks on Kyiv’s residential areas just a day earlier. Trump suggested that the coming weeks would show whether the momentum could turn into an actual deal.
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However, during the intense diplomatic push ahead of the New Year, Trump welcomed Zelenskyy to his Florida estate as part of broader efforts to encourage dialogue between the warring sides.
Trump said the parties were closer to the Peace Deal on a U.S. proposal to create a free economic zone in parts of the region, under which Kyiv would withdraw its forces as part of a negotiated peace.
“I would not say agreed, but we’re getting closer to an agreement on that, and that’s a big issue. Certainly, that’s one of the big issues, and… it’s unresolved,” he added.
Zelenskyy noted that unresolved issues, especially those related to territory, remain the most difficult and politically sensitive.
“But I think when the president says 95, I think it could be close to 95%,” he said.
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