Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Kiev was discussing with Washington a possible presence of US troops in Ukraine as part of security guarantees, and also addressed what he called a fake attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence.
Zelenskiy told media in a WhatsApp chat that Ukraine was committed to continuing talks on ending the war triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 and that he was ready to meet with Putin in any format.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he and Zelenskiy were ‘perhaps very close’ to a deal to end the war, although ‘thorny’ territorial issues remained. He was more cautious than Zelenskiy on security guarantees, but said they were 95% close to an agreement and that he expected European countries to ‘take on a large part’ of that effort with US support.
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On Tuesday, Russia said its position in negotiations would become tougher after accusing Kiev of attacking one of Putin’s Russian presidential residences — an allegation Kiev said was baseless and intended to derail the arduous peace talks.
Zelenskiy wants US troops in Ukraine
Zelenskiy said in his WhatsApp chat that the presence of US troops in Ukraine would be a major security boost for Kiev.
‘Of course we are discussing this with President Trump and with representatives of the (Western) coalition (which supports Kiev). We want this. We would like it to be that way. That would be a strong position for security guarantees,’ he said.
The White House has not commented on the issue of sending U.S. troops to Ukraine in any peace deal with Russia.
Zelenskiy said he was willing to meet with Putin despite the deep lack of mutual trust he highlighted on Monday.
‘I told President Trump and European leaders that I am ready for any format of meeting with Putin. I’m not afraid of any format… The main thing is that the Russians are not afraid.’
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Russia said on Monday that Kiev targeted a presidential residence in the Novgorod region with 91 long-range attack drones, all of which it said it intercepted.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the alleged attack as ‘state terrorism’ and said Moscow had already identified targets for retaliatory strikes in Ukraine.
The Kremlin provided no physical evidence of the alleged incident, saying it would retaliate and review its negotiating position but would not abandon talks on a possible peace deal.
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French say there is no evidence of attack on Putin’s residence
Zelenskiy said earlier on Tuesday: ‘This alleged ‘house attack’ story is a complete fabrication aimed at justifying additional attacks against Ukraine, including Kiev, as well as Russia’s own refusal to take the necessary measures to end the war. Typical Russian lies’.
In Paris, a source close to French President Emmanuel Macron said there was no substance to corroborate Moscow’s accusation of an attack on Putin’s residence.
‘Ukraine and its partners are committed to a path of peace, while Russia has chosen to continue and intensify its war against Ukraine. This is, in itself, an act of defiance against President Trump’s peace agenda,’ the source said.
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The White House declined to comment further on the alleged attack on Putin’s residence after Zelenskiy said he had spoken about the matter with Trump, who on Monday said he had been briefed on the matter by Putin and was angry about it. Asked if there was evidence of such an attack, Trump said: ‘We’ll find out.’
Amid intensifying peace diplomacy, Russia launched more waves of drones against port infrastructure and civilian ships in Ukraine’s Odessa region on Tuesday, Ukrainian navy and government officials said.
Odessa and the region are home to Black Sea ports, which are crucial to Ukraine’s foreign trade and the survival of its economy in times of war.
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In recent months, the maritime war between Ukraine and Russia has intensified. Both sides have attacked naval and commercial assets in the Black Sea and beyond.
