(Image Credit: X/ANI)
On Monday, Russia claimed that Ukraine was behind a drone strike on President Vladimir Putin’s official residence located in the Novgorod region, which has been labeled as a ‘terrorist attack’ and a move that will make Russia rethink its peace talks position regarding the Ukraine conflict. The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, reported that a total of 91 long range drones were shot down overnight by the Russian air defense system and that there were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage. Lavrov further mentioned that Moscow had already pinpointed places in Ukraine that could be targeted for ‘retaliatory strikes’, and that the incident would force Russia to adjust its negotiating position.
Ukraine vehemently rejected the charge, describing it as untrue and driven by political motives. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and his staff labeled the incident a ‘falsehood’ and a maneuver to obstruct the peace process that is already taking place. The Ukrainian leadership contended that the issuance of such false accusations is merely a cover for the launching of missiles against urban centers in Ukraine, including the central government of Kyiv, and making it more difficult to reach diplomatic compromises. They also pointed out that the Ukrainian capital has no military reason to attack Putin’s accommodation, especially during the sensitive time of peace talks involving the US.
The claims were made at a time when there was a lot of diplomacy going on to solve the conflict which had already lasted nearly three years. Recently there had been very high level talks, involving Putin, Zelensky, and US President Trump. The Kremlin’s foreign policy expert Yuri Ushakov stated that during the phone call, Putin leaked the news of the supposedly planned attack to Trump and also hinted that Russia might reconsider its stance in the negotiations for peace as a result. On the other hand, Trump called his last encounter with Zelensky ‘terrific’, while speaking about a 20 point Ukraine peace plan and long-term security guarantees for Kyiv. The emerging situation puts more pressure on an already weak diplomatic process.
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