Peace hopes fade after Russia claims Ukraine targeted Putin’s residence

Efforts to revive peace talks between Russia and Ukraine suffered a setback after Moscow claimed Ukraine tried to attack President Vladimir Putin’s residence with drones, an allegation Ukraine dismissed as baseless.

Russian officials said air defenses shot down dozens of drones near Putin’s residence late Sunday night. No damage was reported, but the Kremlin described the alleged attack as a major escalation. According to Reuters, Russia warned the incident could affect its approach to negotiations.

Ukraine quickly denied any involvement. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the claim was manufactured and accused Russia of using it to distract from stalled peace talks and ongoing military pressure. Ukrainian officials stressed that Kyiv does not target civilian or symbolic sites inside Russia.

The accusation comes as the United States tries to broker an agreement to end the conflict. Over the weekend, Zelenskyy met US President Donald Trump to discuss a proposed peace plan. While both sides spoke of progress on security guarantees, key territorial issues remain unresolved, Reuters reported.

Ukraine insists it cannot recognize Russian control over occupied areas and says decisions about land must wait until after a ceasefire. Russia, meanwhile, continues to demand Ukrainian withdrawals from regions it claims as its own.

Trump later said he discussed the situation with Putin and expressed frustration over the drone allegation, noting that evidence was unclear. He described the conversation as productive but admitted that trust between the sides remains low.

According to The Guardian, diplomats fear that incidents like this, real or alleged, could derail already fragile talks. Fighting continues along several front lines, and neither side appears ready to compromise on its core demands.

The episode shows how quickly peace efforts can be shaken by new claims and counterclaims. With no ceasefire in place and negotiations stuck on territory, the path toward ending the war remains uncertain.

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