President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin informed him that Russia will respond to Ukraine’s recent bold drone attack on Russian airfields.
In a Truth Social post, Trump described his hour-and-15-minute call with Putin as “a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.”
Trump said they discussed the drone strike on Russian aircraft and other attacks from both sides. He quoted Putin as saying, “very strongly,” that Russia “will have to respond” to the airfield attacks.
They also talked about nuclear deal negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. Trump warned that “time is running out” for Tehran to reach an agreement and said he believes Putin shares his views on the Iranian nuclear program. According to Trump, Putin suggested he might get involved to help speed up the negotiations.
Trump criticized Iran for delaying its decision and said a prompt answer is needed.
This post marked Trump’s first acknowledgment that his efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine have not succeeded and was the first time he publicly addressed Ukraine’s daring Operation Spiderweb—a covert drone strike that destroyed more than 40 Russian bombers and caused billions in damage. The attack, carried out by Ukraine’s secret service (SBU), involved smuggling drones into Russia and launching them simultaneously from multiple locations far behind enemy lines.
Videos showed planes on fire after the strike at the Belaya airfield. Days later, Ukrainian forces detonated a large underwater bomb on a bridge linking Crimea to mainland Russia. These attacks surprised the Kremlin, boosted Ukrainian President Zelensky, and sent shockwaves through global defense circles.
Until this post, Trump had been unusually silent on the conflict, despite previously claiming he could broker peace within 24 hours and criticizing Zelensky’s ability to keep fighting Russia.
When asked about Zelensky’s capabilities during a White House briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump remains optimistic about recent U.S.-brokered peace talks in Istanbul but recognizes the reality that the two countries have been at war for a long time due to his predecessor’s failures.