Trump says Putin plans to retaliate after Ukraine drone strikes

Kyiv’s daring mass drone strikes on Sunday destroyed a number of nuclear-capable bombers value billions of {dollars}, and dominated the third name between the Russian and US presidents since Trump returned to energy.

Earlier, Putin had appeared to rule out a ceasefire or any direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Turkey has urged it may host such negotiations and invited Trump, too.

“It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace,” stated Trump in a social media publish. “President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.”

The US chief added that in his name with Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, launching a grinding conflict, they’d “discussed the attack on Russia’s docked airplanes” in addition to different assaults “by both sides.”

The Kremlin described the decision, which additionally centered on negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, as “positive” and “productive.”

Trump has repeatedly alarmed Kyiv and its allies in Europe and elsewhere by pivoting in the direction of Putin over the conflict, and he had a blazing Oval Office row with Zelensky in February.

The US president has, nonetheless, additionally proven rising frustration with Putin final week calling him “crazy” as Russia has continued assaults and derailed Trump’s marketing campaign pledge to finish the conflict inside 24 hours.

Putin’s name with Trump seemed to be a part of a diplomatic offensive by the Russian chief, who mentioned the Ukraine conflict with Pope Leo XIV in a phone dialog on Wednesday.

The Kremlin stated Putin instructed the US-born pope he needed peace via diplomacy however added that “the regime in Kyiv is betting on an escalation of the conflict and carrying out of acts of sabotage against civil infrastructure on Russian territory.”

Putin earlier accused Ukraine of being behind “terrorist” assaults on bridges in its border areas over the weekend, together with one which induced a prepare to derail, killing seven individuals.

He stated any full ceasefire would simply give Kyiv an opportunity to rearm.

“Why reward them by giving them a break from the combat, which will be used to pump the regime with Western arms, to continue their forced mobilization and to prepare different terrorist acts,” Putin stated in a televised authorities assembly.

Ukraine has been pushing for an unconditional and speedy 30-day truce, issuing its newest proposal to Moscow at peace talks in Istanbul on Monday.

Zelensky stated earlier Wednesday that Russia had handed Ukraine an “ultimatum” and recycled previous calls for in Turkey, the place the one concrete settlement was on a sequence of large-scale prisoner exchanges.

Moscow’s calls for included Ukraine totally pulling out of 4 areas Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia that Russia claims to have annexed however doesn’t have full management over.

Zelensky stated Ukraine was prepared “any day” for a gathering proposed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that may additionally embrace the US and Russian leaders.

The White House says Trump is “open” to such a gathering.

More than three years into Russia’s invasion, which has value tens of hundreds of lives, the 2 sides have opened direct talks looking for a approach to finish what has grow to be Europe’s largest battle since World War II.

Ukrainian troops have been struggling months of setbacks on the battlefield as Russian forces steadily advance throughout key sectors of the sprawling entrance line.

Russia’s military stated it had captured one other village in Ukraine’s Sumy border area because it seeks to ascertain what it calls a “buffer zone” inside Ukrainian territory.

Kyiv has sought to realize assurances of continued assist from Washington. On Wednesday, senior Zelensky aide Andriy Yermak met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington.

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