CaliToday (01/1/2026): The CIA has assessed that Ukraine did not target Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence, directly contradicting explosive allegations made by the Kremlin earlier this week. According to U.S. sources familiar with the matter, CIA Director John Ratcliffe delivered this assessment directly to President Donald Trump during a classified briefing on Wednesday.
The intelligence report marks a significant pivot in the White House’s understanding of the event, which had threatened to derail nascent peace efforts.
A Shift in Presidential Perspective
The briefing appears to have cooled tensions that flared earlier in the week. During a telephone conversation on Monday, President Putin reportedly told President Trump that Ukrainian forces had utilized Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to strike his residence in northern Russia.
Sources indicate that President Trump initially viewed the accusation as credible, reacting with visible anger toward the alleged escalation, despite immediate and adamant denials from officials in Kyiv.
However, following Wednesday’s update from Director Ratcliffe, President Trump’s stance has shifted toward skepticism regarding Moscow's narrative. Shortly after the intelligence briefing, Trump shared a New York Post editorial on social media. The op-ed suggested that Russia, not Ukraine, remains the primary obstacle to peace and posited that the attack described by Putin likely never occurred. The article underscored a critical point now echoed by U.S. intelligence: the Kremlin has failed to provide evidence, and the world should not "simply take Moscow’s word."
The "Ghost" Attack
The controversy centers on claims made by the Russian Ministry of Defense, which stated that 91 drones were intercepted over the Novgorod region, near Putin’s Valdai estate. While Russian officials publicized the volume of the barrage, they have notably failed to provide photographic evidence or debris analysis linking the drones to an attempted assassination or a strike on the residence itself.
Diplomatic Sabotage?
The timing of the accusation amidst a renewed U.S. push for ceasefire negotiations—has raised alarms across the Atlantic. European officials are increasingly viewing the Kremlin's claims as a strategic maneuver designed to fracture Western resolve.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, dismissed the Russian allegations as a "deliberate distraction." Diplomatic sources in Brussels suggest the narrative was likely fabricated or exaggerated by Moscow to justify prolonged hostilities and sabotage the diplomatic groundwork currently being laid by the Trump administration.
As Washington realigns its position based on the CIA's findings, pressure is mounting on the Kremlin to substantiate its claims or face further isolation at the negotiating table.