Trump 'very angry' about alleged Ukrainian attack on Putin residence
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comments from U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Dec. 29 that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him Ukraine had tried to attack Putin's residence in northern Russia, an allegation Kyiv has denied.
"I don't like it. It's not good," Trump told reporters when asked whether the alleged attack could affect efforts to broker peace.
"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," he said.
When asked whether there was any evidence of such an attack, Trump said, "We'll find out."
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Putin's claim as "another lie," warning that Moscow could use the allegation to justify potential strikes, most likely targeting Kyiv.
Putin relayed the allegation during a phone call with Trump, which came after Trump's recent meeting with Zelensky in Florida. Trump described his call with Putin as a "very good talk."
Trump's ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker cast doubt on the accusations on Dec. 30, telling Fox News that it was "unclear whether it actually happened."
"We're going to get to the bottom of the intelligence. And for me, the most important thing is what the United States and our allies' intelligence services say about whether or not this attack actually happened," Whitaker added.
Trump's remarks came as Russia has continued near-daily attacks on non-military targets in Ukraine's capital and other cities. In its latest mass attack on Dec. 26-27, Russia launched nearly 500 drones and 40 missiles targeting Kyiv's energy infrastructure, killing two civilians and injuring 32 others.
