After a massive Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s airbases, Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened a fierce retaliation. During a phone call with US President Donald Trump recently, Putin denounced the attack, which hit and destroyed several nuclear-capable bombers, as the most powerful Ukrainian counteroffensive in years.
Trump referred to the call on Truth Social, stating, “I just finished speaking, by telephone, with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia. The call was about an hour and 15 minutes long. We talked of the attack on the parked planes of Russia, by Ukraine, and also numerous other attacks that have been ongoing by both sides. It was a good call, but not a call that will bring instant Peace. President Putin did state, and very forcefully, that he will have to retaliate over the latest attack on the airfields.”
This was the third direct exchange between the two leaders since Trump re-entered office. Even with diplomatic efforts, Trump determined that Putin is still not ready for ‘immediate peace’.
At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy encouraged Western allies not to be bullied by Putin’s threat. In a message posted on the web, Zelenskyy advised, “When he feels neither strength nor pressure, but weakness, he commits yet more crimes.”
In a gesture of solidarity with Moscow, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received Russian security chief Sergei Shoigu and vowed unreserved support for Russia’s position on international issues, including the Ukraine. The KCNA reported Kim as saying that Pyongyang will ‘unconditionally support the stand of Russia and its foreign policies in all the crucial international political issues, including the Ukrainian issue’. The report also cited Kim as saying he was sure Russia would ‘surely win victory in the sacred cause of justice’.
Meanwhile, President Putin also had a chat with Pope Leo regarding the war. The Kremlin described the conversation as ‘constructive’ and reaffirmed Putin’s adherence to diplomatic settlement. In the Russian statement, Putin ‘reaffirmed his interest in achieving peace through political and diplomatic means’, though he also blamed the government of Ukraine for ‘committing acts of sabotage on Russian civil infrastructure’ and seeking an escalation of war.
