JAKARTA - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Russia would continue to negotiate a resolution to the Ukraine conflict, but after the attack on the Russian president's residence, it would be done primarily with the United States.
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Peskov claimed the attack was a "terrorist act aimed at thwarting the negotiation process."
He recalled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Christmas speech, in which he wished death for an unnamed person, and claimed it referred to President Putin.
"This is not only addressed personally to President Putin - and here I still want to remind Zelenskyy's Christmas speech and the words he said about (President) Putin - but also addressed to (US President Donald) Trump, who aims to undermine President Trump's efforts to contribute to a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict," he said, launching Anadolu (30/12).
Further, Peskov said, "Kyiv's provocations, acts of state terrorism, are not able to shake the level of secret dialogue between" Putin and Trump.
"The presidents maintain the confidential nature of the dialogue and continue to speak," he said.
Regarding the consequences, Peskov said the diplomatic outcome would be a strengthening of Russia's negotiating position, and militarily, Russian forces "know how, with what, and when to respond."
When asked exactly how Russia would strengthen its position, Peskov said: "Of course, as with our previous negotiating positions, we do not intend to do this publicly."
Peskov himself refused to say where Putin was at the time of the attack, given recent events, such details should not be published, as reported by Al Arabiya from Reuters.
On the occasion, Peskov also criticized President Zelensky and Western media for trying to justify the attack, calling it "crazy."
"We see Zelensky himself trying to deny it, and many Western media, allied with the Kyiv regime, are starting to push the narrative that, supposedly, this did not happen," he said.
Previously, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Monday that Kyiv carried out an attack using 91 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) against the Russian President's state residence in the Novgorod region on the night of December 29.
According to him, all the drones were destroyed, and there were no reports of casualties or damage due to debris.
President Zelensky denied the claim on the social media X, arguing that the accusation was aimed at "undermining all the achievements of our joint diplomatic efforts" with the Trump team and "justifying additional attacks on Ukraine."
Meanwhile, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said President Putin had expressed in a telephone conversation with US leader Donald Trump, the attack took place "actually, right after" the US-Ukrainian talks in Florida, warning that terrorist acts would not be left alone.
After the incident, President Putin said in a telephone call with US President Donald Trump, Russia would revise its stance in settlement talks.
In turn, President Trump later told reporters he was "angry" at the attack, adding such actions could not facilitate peace talks.
"I don't like it. It's not good," President Trump told reporters when asked if the attack could affect his efforts to broker peace.
"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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