Putin vows retaliation after Ukraine drone strike

Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened a major response to Ukraine’s drone attack on the country’s airbases during a phone call with his American counterpart, Donald Trump. The US president said that Putin is not ready for “immediate peace” after Kyiv attacked its bombers, the largest such counteroffensive in years.

“I just finished speaking, by telephone, with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia. The call lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes. We discussed the attack on Russia’s docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides. It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace. President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields,” Trump said on Truth Social shortly after his phone call with the Russian president.

Kyiv’s daring strikes on Russian airfields Sunday destroyed several nuclear-capable aircraft worth billions of dollars, and dominated the third call between the Russian and US presidents since Trump returned to power.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Ukraine’s allies not to show “weakness” over the Russian president’s threats of retaliation. “When he feels neither strength nor pressure, but weakness, he commits yet more crimes,” Zelensky said in an online post.

Kim vows ‘unconditional support’ to Moscow

On the other hand, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has offered “unconditional support” to Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Meeting top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday, Kim said that Pyongyang would “unconditionally support the stand of Russia and its foreign policies in all the crucial international political issues, including the Ukrainian issue”, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

Kim “expressed expectation and conviction that Russia would, as ever, surely win victory in the sacred cause of justice”, KCNA said.

Pope talks to Putin

On Wednesday, Putin also spoke with Pope Leo about the war in Ukraine during a telephone call, with the Kremlin stating that the Russian president sought peace through diplomacy.

However, Putin also asserted that “the regime in Kyiv is betting on an escalation of the conflict and carrying out acts of sabotage against civil infrastructure on Russian territory,” according to a statement.

During the call, Putin “reaffirmed his interest in bringing about peace by political and diplomatic means.” The Kremlin described the conversation as “constructive.”

With inputs from agencies