France: No evidence that Ukraine targeted Putin; Moscow defies peace
A source close to the French presidency revealed that Paris has not received any concrete evidence to support Moscow's accusations against Ukraine regarding an alleged attempt to target the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The source, close to President Emmanuel Macron, explained that investigations and cross-referencing with international partners have shown that the Russian claims "are not based on any conclusive evidence," pointing to clear inconsistencies in the official account presented by Russian authorities regarding the incident.
A challenge to the American peace agenda
In a related context, the French source asserted that the continuation and recent intensification of Russian airstrikes cannot be viewed in isolation from the current diplomatic efforts. These military actions were described as "an act of direct defiance" against the peace agenda that US President-elect Donald Trump is seeking to establish. This escalation comes at a critical juncture, as international actors attempt to find common ground to end the conflict, raising questions about Moscow's genuine desire to engage in serious negotiations.
Zelensky: False accusations to undermine diplomacy
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy categorically denied his country's involvement in any drone attack on Putin's residence, calling the Russian accusations a "lie." Zelenskyy asserted that the aim of these fabrications was to create a pretext for justifying new waves of violent attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, as well as to undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts, particularly those that followed his important meeting with Donald Trump in Florida.
The international context and the future of negotiations
These developments are particularly significant given their timing, coming as they did the day after a high-level meeting between Zelensky and Trump, which aimed to discuss security guarantees and ways to de-escalate tensions. Trump commented on the incident, stating that Putin informed him of the attack while "furious," and the US president responded that "this is not the time to do something like this," alluding to the sensitivity of the current negotiating phase.
These mutual accusations cast a shadow of doubt over the future of the intensive diplomatic negotiations that began last November. Observers fear that this media and military escalation could derail efforts to end the bloodiest war in Europe since World War II, further complicating the regional and international landscape and increasing the risk of the conflict spreading.
