Moscow – Saba:
Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Russian presidency (the Kremlin), confirmed on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin informed his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, that Russia intends to respond to Kyiv over the "terrorist" attacks carried out by Ukraine on several Russian airports.
When asked by journalists whether Putin had indeed told Trump during their conversation that Russia would retaliate for the attacks on its airports, Peskov replied, "Yes, absolutely," according to Russia’s Sputnik news agency.
Peskov added, when questioned about whether the tone of the Putin-Trump conversation had shifted from previous talks and whether it was less friendly: "Here, you might be asking more about the emotional undertones. The conversation, I repeat, was constructive, and perhaps it’s not logical to focus on its duration. Sometimes, important matters can be addressed in a shorter timeframe—which was the case yesterday."
He noted that the discussion between Putin and Trump was "constructive and necessary," adding, "The two presidents indeed discussed many fundamental and important issues."
Peskov stated that there are no agreements between Presidents Putin and Trump to arrange a meeting.
He further emphasized, "During yesterday’s phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had no information about the preparation of this terrorist act by the Kyiv regime. But if we speak broadly about the international assessment, we would naturally prefer to hear at least a strong condemnation of this terrorist act."
Peskov confirmed that Russia’s response to Ukraine’s "terrorist strikes" on Russian airports would be determined by the military in whatever manner it deems appropriate.
When asked whether the Kremlin would cut off communications with Ukraine if Kyiv repeated attacks on civilian targets, Peskov told reporters: "As you know, during yesterday’s meeting, our Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed the view that, despite everything, working-level communications should continue. The president supported this position."
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he had held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that the conversation lasted one hour and 15 minutes.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: "Just finished a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The call lasted one hour and fifteen minutes." He added, "They discussed the attack on Russian aircraft by Ukraine, as well as various other attacks from both sides."
Trump continued: "The conversation was good, but not the kind that would lead to immediate peace. President Putin also strongly emphasized that he would have to respond to the recent attack on the airports."
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