In a meeting with high-ranking officials at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Putin refrained from addressing Ukraine's bold drone strikes against Russian strategic bombers. Instead, he focused on recent attacks that resulted in the derailment of two trains in Russia, which led to seven fatalities. Putin pointed fingers at Ukraine's special services, alleging that the railway attacks were meant to disrupt ongoing diplomatic discussions in Istanbul, where Ukrainian officials had sought to broker negotiations.
"They are asking for a summit meeting," Putin remarked, referring to the request from Ukraine for an in-person confrontation with Zelensky. "But how can such meetings be held in these conditions? How can we negotiate with those who rely on terror?"
Meanwhile, Presidential Trump confirmed speaking with Putin for the first time following the drone assaults. In a post on Truth Social, Trump mentioned that Putin strongly indicated a need to respond vigorously to the attacks on Russian airfields, further complicating the path to peace.
