'We don't believe that happened' — Trump dismisses Putin’s claim of Ukrainian attack on his residence
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Jan. 4 that he does not believe Ukraine attacked a residence used by Russian President Vladimir Putin, casting doubt on Moscow’s claims following a recent phone call with Putin.
"We don’t believe that happened now that we’ve been able to check," Trump told the reporters while aboard Air Force One.
"There is something that happened fairly nearby but had nothing to do with this. .... nobody knew at that moment. I mean, that was the first I heard about it. He said that his house was attacked," Trump added.
The allegation emerged as Ukraine and the United States were coordinating an updated peace framework, a timing Ukrainian officials described as deliberate.
On Dec. 29, Russia publicly accused Ukraine of launching 91 drones toward a residence used by Putin — a claim Putin personally conveyed to Trump during the phone call. Trump initially reacted to the allegation, saying he was "very angry," before later expressing skepticism after reviewing additional information.
On Dec. 31, Trump shared a New York Post editorial titled "Putin 'attack' bluster shows Russia is the one standing in the way of peace," which questioned the credibility of Moscow’s account.
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has assessed that Ukraine did not target a residence used by Russian President Vladimir Putin, confirming Kyiv's immediate denial and undercutting Moscow's claims, U.S. officials told CNN on Jan. 1.
Answering a question about his New Year's resolution of "peace on Earth", Trump reiterated his goal of ending the Russia-Ukraine war. "We just hope that Russia and Ukraine get it settled," he said.
"25,000 to 30,000 soldiers are being killed every single month. And they’re not from America. They’re from Russia and they’re from Ukraine," Trump added. "And if I could get it stopped, I’d like to get it stopped. And I think we will."
