On Monday, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, made comments just after President Trump highlighted some progress toward a ceasefire aimed at ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Lavrov indicated that Russia’s stance in the discussions might change due to an alleged attempt by Ukraine to attack one of President Putin’s secluded homes.

Lavrov, a long-time close ally of Putin and Russia’s foreign minister, suggested that the Kremlin might consider a response to Ukraine’s actions. Still, he didn’t share much information on what that could mean.

He accused Ukraine of using several drones to target a residence belonging to Putin in the Novgorod region, which is far from Moscow and near the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Lavrov claimed that Russian forces intercepted 91 Ukrainian drones and reported no injuries or damage from the incident.

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy quickly dismissed these allegations from Russia as “falsehoods,” asserting that they were an attempt to disrupt the peace talks being facilitated by the Trump administration.

President Trump had met with Zelenskyy the day before at his estate in Florida, where he reaffirmed that Putin was interested in reaching a peaceful solution, stating, “Russia wants to see Ukraine thrive.”

That comment really caught people’s attention because Putin and his team have often claimed that Ukraine doesn’t have the right to exist as an independent country.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt mentioned on social media that Mr. Trump had another “constructive chat with President Putin about Ukraine” on Monday, but she didn’t share any more details about what they talked about, leaving it unclear if the two leaders chatted before or after Moscow accused Kyiv of trying to hit Putin’s home.

Lavrov didn’t specify how or when Russia might change its stance in the talks aimed at ending the war, which has been going on for almost four years since Putin kicked off the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a conflict his government still calls just a special military operation. However, Putin himself hinted earlier on Monday, during a meeting with his military chief, that “soon, we need to keep pushing forward with the offensive.”

Putin even expressed hope that Russian troops would manage to take control of all four regions in eastern Ukraine that he spoke about seven months into the full-scale invasion — Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbas, plus Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

Ukraine and its European allies have been warning that Vladimir Putin’s interactions with the Trump administration regarding Ukraine are simply delaying tactics, allowing his military to gain more control over Ukrainian land.

After discussions with President Trump, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed optimism, stating that they had nearly finalized a 20-point peace plan, with about 90% of it agreed upon. However, both leaders recognized that there are still some important issues to resolve. A major sticking point is Russia’s insistence on having complete control over the Donbas region.

Ukraine, along with its European partners, has consistently opposed the idea of giving in to Russia’s aggression by making territorial concessions. They argue that doing so would set a dangerous precedent, reminiscent of the land grabs by Adolf Hitler at the start of World War II.

Despite Putin’s insistence that he won’t back down on his demand for more territory in Russia, former President Trump stated on Sunday that Ukraine and Russia might be closer to a peace agreement than ever before.

After their meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said that Putin needs to follow through on his words with real actions. This meeting took place just a day after Russia launched another severe attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.