US House of Representatives member Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, has publicly criticized US President Donald Trump over his statements about Ukraine's alleged drone attack on the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, The Hill reports.
Bacon said the US president appeared to have rushed to side with Russia without checking the facts. The Republican stressed that the Kremlin cannot be trusted because Putin has repeatedly spread false information.
" President Trump and his team should first get the facts before taking responsibility. Putin is a known shameless liar ," Bacon wrote on social media X.
According to the publication, Trump was “very angry” after the Russian side’s statements that Ukraine allegedly tried to attack the presidential residence in the Novgorod region using 91 long-range drones. The US president referred to a conversation with Putin that took place the same day.
After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump told reporters that he heard about the attack directly from the Russian leader.
" It's one thing to be aggressive. It's another thing to attack his house. Now is not the time for such actions. This is a delicate period. I was very angry about it ," the US president said.
The Hill suggests that Trump was referring to peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which he said were at a sensitive stage. When asked by reporters whether there was evidence that Ukraine had actually carried out such an attack, Trump said that this remained to be seen.
" We'll find out. Are you saying that maybe there wasn't an attack? It's possible, I think. But President Putin told me about it this morning ," he said.
At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected Moscow's accusations, calling them a complete fabrication. According to him, these statements are aimed at justifying new Russian attacks against Ukraine and may be an attempt to disrupt or undermine peace talks.
It is also reported that the day before, on December 28, Trump met with Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago. During the meeting, the parties discussed the proposed 20-point peace plan.
The publication notes that Don Bacon, who has criticized Trump, is completing his term in Congress at the end of this session. This is not the first time he has publicly expressed disagreement with the US president's position, in particular on foreign policy and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
