'It's a dangerous lie': Ukraine denies strike on Putin's residence - as Trump hails 'positive' phone call with Russian leader
Kyiv says claims it targeted Putin's presidential residence are lies to undermine progress in US-led peace talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied Russia’s claim it launched an attack on Vladimir Putin’s state residence overnight - while Donald Trump has held a ‘positive’ phone call with the Russian leader.
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Mr Zelenskyy has blasted allegations as “dangerous” and a “lie” aimed at undermining progress Ukraine has made in talks with the US.
It comes after Moscow claimed Putin’s official presidential residence was targeted in a drone strike on Sunday night.
"Another lie from the Russian Federation. Of course, we had a meeting with Trump yesterday. And of course, for the Russians, if there is no scandal between us and America, and we are making progress, for them it is a failure. Because they do not want to end this war,” Mr Zelenskyy said in a statement.
He added: “They can only end it through pressure on them. Well, I am sure they were looking for reasons for this. To be honest, yesterday I was still expecting some rhetoric. You see, they are going further.
“Now, with their statement that some of their residences were attacked, they are simply preparing, I am sure, preparing, in principle, the ground for strikes, probably on the capital and probably on government buildings.”
Read more: 'We have the makings of a deal' Trump-Zelenskyy peace talks begin in Florida
Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump's team. We keep working together to bring peace closer.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 29, 2025
This alleged "residence strike" story is a complete fabrication intended to justify…
Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov had alleged that Putin’s state residence in the Novgorod region.
He said Russia's negotiating position will be adapted to consider "the Kyiv regime's final transition to a policy of state terrorism", according to Russian state news agency Tass.
Meanwhile, the White House has confirmed Mr Trump and Putin held a “positive” phone call on Monday.
Moscow said Mr Trump was informed about the Russian allegation of a drone strike on Putin’s presidential residence.Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said Mr Trump was shocked to learn of the alleged attack.
Earlier, Mr Zelenskyy revealed crucial details of the peace plan negotiated between him and Mr Trump during their crunch meeting in Florida.
The two leaders met at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on Sunday in an attempt to hammer out the final details of a plan to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The meeting ended with Mr Trump declaring a peace deal is “95 per cent” complete, but he warned a number of “thorny issues” remain.
These issues likely include calls for Ukraine to give up vast swathes of its land in the guise of so-called demilitarised zones.
Speaking after the conference, President Zelenskyy revealed Mr Trump negotiated down previously agreed-upon US security guarantees from 50 years to just 15 years.
He added that a plan for security guarantees has been “100 per cent agreed”, implying he has accepted Mr Trump’s lower suggestion.
Russia has consistently rejected any suggestion of US security guarantees - so this may end up being one of the “thorny issues” Mr Trump spoke of on Sunday.