MOSCOW/WASHINGTON — In a phone call on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump that Russia would be forced to respond to recent Ukrainian drone attacks targeting its strategic bomber bases and critical infrastructure. The call came as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalates amid efforts by Trump to broker peace in Europe’s deadliest war since World War II.
According to a Kremlin readout, Putin said that drone strikes on bridges in the Bryansk and Kursk regions showed Ukraine was targeting civilians and accused Kyiv of devolving into a “terrorist organization” backed by the West.
“The current Kyiv regime does not need peace at all,” Putin said in a televised briefing with Russian officials. “Any ceasefire would simply be used to rearm Ukraine with Western weapons.”
Trump reportedly told Putin he had not been informed in advance of the specific attacks and reiterated his goal of ending the war. He also noted that he believed Russia could play a constructive role in addressing threats from Iran, suggesting areas of broader U.S.-Russia cooperation.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said that ongoing talks with Kyiv intermediaries had been “useful,” but cast doubt on their sincerity.
Ukraine has not issued a statement regarding the reported bridge strikes.
As the situation deteriorates, the call underscores the fragile nature of diplomacy and the limits of Western influence on Ukraine’s battlefield strategy. With Trump pursuing a negotiated end to the war and Putin signaling retaliation, the path to peace appears increasingly uncertain.
