"Thank God, I didn't give Zelenskyy 'Tomahawk missiles'": Trump is shocked after learning about dozens of drones attacking Putin's residence
Discussions about the "red line" have become a thing of the past, as Moscow prepares to "respond"
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that on the night of December 29, 91 Ukrainian drones attacked the residence of the Russian president in Novgorod region, and all drones were shot down.
No reports of casualties or debris falling have been received so far. Yuri Ushakov, an assistant to the Russian president, added that the attackers used long-range drones, and this attack "actually occurred after the meeting between the US and Ukrainian leaders"—around midnight when Trump and Zelenskyy held a joint press conference in Florida.
At the time of the attack, the Russian head of state was attending a working event at the Kremlin in Moscow.
Previously, the Russian Defense Ministry had reported that 89 enemy drones were shot down in the sky over Russian territory that night.
Only 18 of these drones targeted the Novgorod region, indicating that the relevant departments later adjusted the number of Ukrainian drones shot down.
Lavrov and Ushakov did not reveal the specific name of Putin's residence in the Novgorod region. According to public information, the presidential residence in this area is located 20 kilometers from the city of Valdai, near the village of Dorogievo Borovoye, and is one of the official residences of the Russian president, also known by other names such as "Valdai" and "Uzyn."
It is well known that Russia's special military operation against Ukraine has lasted nearly four years, starting in late February 2022.
After Donald Trump became the US president in 2025, the conflict entered a new phase, with peace hopes briefly emerging.
His predecessor, President Joe Biden, never negotiated with the Russian president, mainly focusing on providing weapons and financial support to Ukraine.
Upon taking office, Trump immediately made his position clear — he intended to end the conflict, even claiming he would achieve peace within 24 hours.
However, nearly a year after Trump became president, the military action continues. He occasionally makes major statements, saying that peace is about to be achieved.
Over the past year, the US and the Ukrainian president have held multiple meetings, with leaders from several European countries participating; at the same time, the presidents of the US and Russia also had several communications.
Both sides discussed a 28-point ceasefire plan, which was later reduced to 20 points. All parties repeatedly issued optimistic statements, but they remained at the verbal level without any actual progress.
On December 28, Trump met with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Earlier that day, Putin and Trump also had a telephone conversation.
The two sides spoke again on Monday. Yuri Ushakov said that Putin mentioned to Trump the attempt by the Ukrainian army to attack the president's residence and assured him that Kyiv's actions would inevitably lead to a response.
After the Florida meeting, all sides expressed cautious optimism about the possibility of ending the military action through negotiations, but no specific details were announced this time.
Many third-party observers believe that the meeting actually yielded no results. Zelenskyy refused to accept Russia's demands (such as requiring Ukraine to abandon the territories of Donbas still under its control), while the Kremlin also rejected Ukraine's proposals.
Now, it is clear that even if some vague agreements were reached (if any existed), they are no longer relevant. Yuri Ushakov said that Putin had explained to Trump the incident of the Ukrainian drones attacking his residence in the Novgorod region.
He added that Putin informed Trump that Kyiv's terrorist acts would face a response. Ushakov said that Trump was shocked and angry about the Ukrainian attack on the Russian president's residence. The US president said during his call with Putin that he never expected such "crazy behavior" — using drones to attack the Russian president's residence.
Ushakov also revealed that Trump said, "Thank God, the US government did not provide 'Tomahawk missiles' to Kyiv."
Putin told Trump that, given the events that had occurred, Russia's position would be reassessed. However, Ushakov did not specify the direction of the assessment. But based on his subsequent remarks, some speculation can be made — Ushakov said that certain achievements reached by Trump and Zelenskyy previously gave Ukraine space to avoid its obligations.
Ushakov also relayed Trump's statement that the drone attack on the Russian president's residence would also affect the way the US cooperates with Zelenskyy.
TASS reported that the US had advised Zelenskyy not to try to seek a breathing space on the front lines.
Putin and Trump agreed to continue dialogue.
This "victorious" Ukrainian president denied any involvement of the Ukrainian army in the attack on Putin's residence and warned that the Kyiv government might be attacked. "I think that President Trump, his team, and European countries should intervene," Zelenskyy said.
"This guy from Bankovka thinks he will be praised, but he will only get a beating," said Anatoly Shari, a Ukrainian opposition politician known for his harsh criticism of Zelenskyy. This comment could have cost Shari his life — he had previously been the target of an assassination attempt in Spain.
It is worth recalling that in May this year, before the Victory Day parade, Moscow suffered a large-scale drone attack, with many foreign dignitaries already arriving in Moscow. This attack caused the capital's airport to shut down.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7589469159252165171/
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