Russia says Ukraine tried to attack Putin’s residence; Zelenskyy denies the charge
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Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, said on Monday that Ukraine tried to attack the residence of President Vladimir Putin in the Novgorod region, so Moscow’s negotiating position in the ongoing peace talks will be reviewed.
Lavrov said that on December 28-29, Ukraine attacked the residence of the Russian president with 91 long-range aircraft, all of which were destroyed by Russian aircraft.
“Such reckless actions cannot be answered,” Lavrov said, adding that the attack amounted to “state terrorism.”
Targets have already been selected for retaliatory strikes by the Russian military, he said.
Lavrov noted that the attack occurred during talks on a possible peace deal with Ukraine and that while Russia would not leave the talks, Moscow’s position would be reviewed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the accusation false, adding that Moscow was preparing to attack government buildings in Kyiv.
It is not clear whether Putin was in the area at the time.
The US provides security guarantees
Earlier on Monday, Zelenskyy said the United States is providing security guarantees to Ukraine for a period of 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan, although he said he would like a 50-year American commitment to prevent Russia from continuing its attempts to take over its neighbors’ land by force.
US President Donald Trump hosted Zelenskyy at his Florida resort on Sunday and insisted that Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever” to a peaceful solution.
Negotiators are still seeking progress on key issues, however, including whose power to withdraw and the fate of Russia’s seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, one of the world’s 10 largest.
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed optimism after meeting in Florida on Sunday for talks aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. However, both agreed that thorny problems, including territorial disputes, still exist.
Trump noted that the US-led talks that have lasted for months could still collapse.
“Without security guarantees, in fact, this war will not end,” Zelenskyy told reporters in voice messages in response to questions sent via WhatsApp chat.
Ukraine has been at war with Russia since 2014, when it illegally seized Crimea and Moscow-backed separatists took up arms in the Donbas, an important industrial region in eastern Ukraine.
Details of the security guarantees have not been made public, but Zelenskyy said on Monday they included how the peace deal would be monitored, and the “presence” of the partners. He did not elaborate, but Russia said it would not accept sending troops to Ukraine from NATO countries.
As indications show, the talks could reach a climax in January, before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Putin on Monday said that Russian troops are advancing in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region and are also repressing their offensive in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia.
Putin wanted to portray himself as a negotiator in a position of strength as Ukrainian forces struggled to contain Russia’s main force.
He also emphasized in a meeting with senior military officials the need to create military protection areas along the Russian border.
“This is a very important task as it ensures the security of Russia’s border regions,” he said.
Trump, Putin talk
In a televised meeting with Putin and other senior military officials, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the head of the Russian General Staff, said that the Russian army in 2025 captured an area of 6,460 square kilometers in Ukraine, including 334 villages.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Putin and Trump are expected to talk soon, but there is no indication that the Russian leader will talk to Zelenskyy.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Kyiv’s allies would meet in Paris in early January to “finalize each country’s contributions” to security guarantees.
Trump said he would consider extending US security guarantees to Ukraine beyond 15 years, according to Zelenskyy. The guarantees will be approved by the US Congress, as well as the parliaments of other countries involved in overseeing any settlement, he said.
Zelenskyy said he wants the 20-point peace plan to be approved by Ukrainians in a national referendum.
However, holding a vote requires a ceasefire of at least 60 days, and Moscow has not shown the willingness of an agreement without a full settlement.
