JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump said he did not believe Ukraine launched an attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin's official residence, although he had previously criticized the attack.
"We don't believe it happened," he told reporters on his presidential plane en route to Washington from West Palm Beach, Florida, where he spent the Christmas and New Year holidays at his residence at Mar-a-Lago, TASS reported (5/1).
President Trump answered a question about Kyiv's attack on the Russian President's official residence in Novgorod Region.
"Something happened quite close (to the Russian president's official residence)," President Trump said in this context.
"But (it) has nothing to do (with the attack on the official residence of the Russian leader)," the US leader said without giving any details.
When asked why he had previously criticized Kyiv, Trump said, "Nobody knew at the time. I mean, it was the first time I heard it. He (President Putin) said his house was attacked."
"We do not believe that (Ukraine's attack on Putin's official residence) happened. As you know now, we have been able to check it," he continued.
"We just hope that Russia and Ukraine can resolve this (conflict)," added President Trump.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier said that Ukraine launched an attack on President Putin's official residence in Novgorod Region using 91 drones on the morning of December 29.
All the drones were destroyed. According to the senior diplomat, there was no information about casualties or damage due to the debris of the UAV.
Meanwhile, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said that during a telephone conversation with President Trump on December 29, President Putin drew the US leader's attention to Kiev's attacks, which occurred "almost immediately" after the US-Ukrainian talks at Mar-a-Lago.
The Russian leader warned that Kyiv's attacks would not be left alone, saying Moscow would review its position in negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
President Trump said he was angry and upset at the Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian president's residence, warning that this was a sensitive period, referring to Washington's efforts to end the war.
"I don't like it. It's not good," President Trump told reporters when asked if he was concerned the allegations could affect his efforts to broker peace, Al Arabiya reported from Reuters.
"I learned about it from President Putin today. I am very angry about it," he said.
"This is a sensitive period of time. This is not the right time. Being offensive is one thing, because they are offensive. Attacking his house is another thing. This is not the right time to do these things," said President Trump.
When asked if there was any evidence of such an attack, Trump said: "We'll find out."
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