The CIA has assessed Ukraine was not targeting a residence utilized by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a current drone assault in the north of his nation, in accordance to US officers, undercutting an assertion the Russian chief had made to President Donald Trump in a Monday cellphone name.
The CIA’s director John Ratcliffe briefed Trump on the evaluation Wednesday, the officers mentioned.
Russia had publicly raised allegations Ukraine tried to hit Putin’s house Monday, and Trump informed reporters Putin had informed him of it over the cellphone. At the time, the president mentioned he was troubled by the reported motion, seeming to consider the Russian chief whilst Ukraine strenuously denied it was behind any such assault.
“I don’t like it. It’s not good,” Trump mentioned, describing himself as “very angry” upon listening to the declare.
He conceded it was “possible” the allegation was false and such an assault had not occurred, then added, “But President Putin told me this morning it did.”
Sources mentioned Ratcliffe later briefed Trump that the CIA did not consider it was true. And on Wednesday, Trump appeared to have adopted a extra skeptical posture towards posting, posting a hyperlink to a New York Post editorial on Truth Social with the headline, “Putin ‘attack’ bluster shows Russia is the one standing in the way of peace.” The Post’s editorial board famous it was “rich that Putin, who has waged a brutal war for nearly four years, believes that any violence in his vicinity merits special outrage” and asserted that “Any attack on Putin is more than justified.”
“But here’s the rub: The drone strike likely never happened. (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky vigorously denied it. (Kremlin spokesman Dmitry) Peskov said the Russians could provide no evidence, and urged the press to ‘take the Kremlin’s word for it. No, we won’t,” the board wrote.
NCS has reached out to the CIA and the White House for remark.
Putin’s declare of an assault — and the following US evaluation that it wasn’t true, first reported by the Wall Street Journal — got here amid intensive talks led by Trump and his envoys to finish the struggle in Ukraine.
Putin levied the allegation a day after Trump met Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago, and emerged optimistic on progress to dealer a peace in the battle.
Some European officers mentioned the declare was an try by Putin to derail the peace efforts whereas not catching Trump’s blame.
Others have additionally solid doubt on the Russian declare. The European Union’s international coverage chief Kaja Kallas mentioned on Wednesday that it was a “deliberate distraction.”
The protection ministry in Moscow mentioned Wednesday that 91 drones had been launched from northern Ukraine in opposition to Putin’s residence close to Valdai in the Novgorod area of northwestern Russia.
More than half had been intercepted a number of hundred kilometers away, the ministry mentioned, with out specifying the way it knew they have been destined for Valdai. The relaxation had been intercepted over Novgorod between 3 a.m. and eight:30 a.m. native time on Monday, in accordance to the ministry.
The ministry revealed a map purporting to present the trail of the drones and the place that they had been introduced down.