U.S. President Donald Trump was not informed in advance about Operation Spiderweb, Ukraine's mass drone strike that damaged over 40 Russian bombers, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on June 3.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) smuggled first-person-view (FPV) drones deep within Russia to coordinate attacks against four key air bases on June 1. Trump was not briefed ahead of the operation, Axios reported shortly after the operation, citing a Ukrainian security official.
During a White House press briefing, Leavitt was asked whether Trump was informed by Ukraine about Operation Spiderweb in advance of the attack.
"He was not," she said.
The press secretary was also asked about Trump's view of the operation, given his uncharacteristic silence on the matter.
"I would like to let the president speak on that himself," she said, then updated her answer by adding that Trump wants the war in Ukraine to end.
"The president does not want to see this war prolonged. He wants this war to stop," Leavitt said.
Leavitt praised Trump's efforts as a peacemaker, despite Russia's continued refusal to accept a ceasefire and the escalation of mass attacks against Ukraine. She noted the second round of direct Ukraine-Russia talks on June 2 in Istanbul as a sign of progress, calling the meeting "inconceivable" and crediting the step to Trump's intervention.
"(President Trump) remains positive about the progress that we're seeing," Leavitt said.
When asked whether Trump supports efforts by congressional Republicans to impose harsher sanctions against Russia, Leavitt did not answer directly, saying that lawmakers would take their cues from the president and trust his judgment as commander-in-chief.
"(H)e has smartly kept this as a tool in his toolbox if necessary," Leavitt said, referring to additional sanctions.
Leavitt also said that U.S. defense officials are looking into the implications of Operation Spiderweb for U.S. security and are working to ensure American aircraft are protected from the risks of internal drone strikes.
Trump may take "some executive action" regarding the matter in the near future, she said.
Operation Spiderweb is not the first time Ukraine has launched a major attack against Russia without first informing their American counterparts. The New York Times (NYT) reported in March that U.S. officials under former U.S. President Joe Biden reacted with "surprise" and "anger" when Ukraine sank the Mosvka, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
Chris York
(Updated: )
