Trump says he is 'angry' about alleged Ukrainian attack on Putin's residence

ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is angry about an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin's residence, calling the timing inappropriate amid ongoing peace negotiations.

"I don't like it. It's not good," Trump told reporters about the attack that Kyiv denies, before meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "President Putin told me about it early in the morning. He said he was attacked. It's no good."

Trump said attacking Putin's residence crosses a line, distinguishing it from battlefield operations.

"It's one thing to be offensive ... It's another thing to attack his house. It's not the right time to do any of that," he said. "I was very angry about it."

Trump also said, "It is possible" that the attack did not take place. "We'll find out," he continued.

The president referenced his decision to stop providing Tomahawk long-range land attack missiles to Ukraine, saying: "I didn't want that, because we're talking about a delicate period of time. This is not the right time."

Trump said he spoke with Putin Monday morning, not Sunday, because their conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ended at night in Russia.

"We had a very good talk ... It was a very productive talk," Trump said.

He acknowledged remaining obstacles to peace, repeating that there are some "very thorny issues."

"If we get them resolved, you're going to have peace," he added.

Earlier, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that Ukraine carried out an overnight drone attack on the presidential residence in Novgorod in the country's northwest, threatening to revise Moscow's negotiating position while maintaining engagement in the US-led peace process.

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin told Trump during their phone call the attack "will not go unanswered."

Zelenskyy denied the claims on US social media company X, arguing the accusations seek to "undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts" with Trump's team and "justify additional attacks against Ukraine."