Will Russia Intensify Its Negotiation Stance After Ukraine's Claimed Attack on Putin's Residence?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Russia is intensifying its negotiation position following an alleged attack.
- Ukrainian President Zelensky denies the accusations, calling them false.
- Russia remains committed to dialogue, particularly with the United States.
- No casualties reported from the alleged drone attack.
- Trump expresses optimism about reaching a peace deal.
Moscow, Dec 30 (NationPress) Russia is set to adopt a firmer stance in the ongoing negotiations with Ukraine after an alleged attack by Ukrainian forces on the Russian presidential residence located in the Novgorod Region, as stated by Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday.
Peskov informed reporters that the diplomatic fallout from this incident will lead to a significant hardening of Russia's negotiating position.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied the claims of an attack on Monday, describing it as "yet another falsehood from the Russian Federation."
Peskov noted that the purported Ukrainian attack was aimed at sabotaging the negotiation efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict, emphasizing that Russia remains committed to not withdrawing from the dialogue, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
The Kremlin spokesperson mentioned that Russia will continue its discussions primarily with the United States.
On the same day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reported that Kyiv had initiated an overnight operation involving 91 long-range strike drones targeting the presidential residence in Novgorod. All drones were reportedly intercepted, with no casualties or damage reported.
In a related context, US President Donald Trump met with Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Sunday, expressing optimism that both parties are "getting much closer, perhaps very close" to finalizing a peace agreement to resolve the crisis in Ukraine.
Conversely, Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged in a phone conversation with Trump regarding the recent developments in US-Ukrainian negotiations, as revealed by Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov on Monday.
Ushakov highlighted that Putin reiterated Russia's intention to maintain close and effective cooperation with its US counterparts to explore avenues for achieving peace. He also disclosed that Trump was taken aback and appalled by the news of Kyiv's drone attack in Novgorod, stating that the US President "could never have envisioned such reckless actions from Ukraine."