'They are looking for a pretext' — Zelensky denies drone attack on Putin's residence
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Russia's claims on Dec. 29 that Ukrainian drones attempted to attack a state residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin as "another lie," warning that Moscow is using the allegation to justify potential strikes, most likely targeting Kyiv.
"With this statement about an alleged attack on some residence, they are preparing the ground to strike, most likely the capital and government buildings," Zelensky said while speaking to Ukrainian media on Dec. 29.
Zelensky said the statement was made amid progress in Ukraine's talks with the U.S. on a revised peace agreement framework, calling the timing deliberate.
"It's obvious that yesterday we had a meeting with President Trump, and it's clear that when there is no scandal for the Russians, when there is progress, it is a failure for them. They do not want to end this war and are only capable of doing so under pressure. So they are looking for a pretext," Zelensky added.
Earlier on Dec. 29, the Russian independent media outlet Meduza reported, citing official statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, that Ukrainian drones had allegedly attempted to strike Putin's state residence with 91 drones in Russia's Novgorod Oblast overnight.
Lavrov said Russia would "revise its negotiating position" but would not withdraw from talks, accusing Kyiv of what he called "state terrorism" and warning that retaliation targets had already been identified.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine strikes only legitimate military targets on Russian territory in response to Russian attacks, stressing that Russia remains the aggressor, while Ukraine is acting in self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter.
"We call on the world to condemn Russia's provocative statements aimed at undermining a constructive peace process. Ukraine remains committed to peace efforts led by the United States with the involvement of European partners," Sybiha wrote on Telegram.
Sybiha, like Zelensky, also noted that Russia has already struck a Ukrainian government building this year: Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers was hit by a Russian Iskander missile overnight Sept. 7 in Kyiv.
The claims came as Ukraine presented a draft agreement earlier on Dec. 29, outlining 15-year U.S. security guarantees as part of ongoing peace plan negotiations.
Zelensky said consultations on the documents are ongoing, with Ukrainian and American delegations expected to meet in January to finalize key points.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who met with President Zelensky on Dec. 28, said he learned from Russian President Vladimir Putin about the alleged attack and expressed strong disapproval.
"I don't like it. It's not good," Trump told reporters on Dec. 29, when asked about whether the alleged attack could complicate peace efforts. "I learned about it from President Putin today. I was very angry about it."
"It's a delicate period of time," he added. This is not the right time. It's one thing to be offensive, because they're offensive. It's another thing to attack his house. It's not the right time to do any of that."
Meanwhile, Russia has continued its daily attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. In the latest mass attack on the capital on Dec. 27, Russia killed at least two civilians and injured 32.
On Christmas Day, Dec. 25, Russia attacked a market in Kherson and a residential building in Chernihiv, killing at least two people and injuring 10 others.
