Kremlin Confirms Trump Didn’t Invite Putin to Inauguration; Comments on Ukrainian Missile Attack
On Thursday, the Kremlin clarified that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump did not invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to his January inauguration. Speaking in Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that no such invitation had been received.
The statement followed a CBS News report claiming Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration on January 20. According to sources, the invitation was extended in early November, shortly after Trump’s election victory, but it remains unclear if Xi has accepted.
Addressing a separate issue, Peskov responded to the Russian Defense Ministry’s claim of intercepting six U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missiles fired by Ukraine. He reaffirmed Moscow’s intention to respond to the attack, stating, “The Russian Defense Ministry’s statement made it clear that a response will follow, at a time and in a manner deemed appropriate by Moscow.”
The Russian Defense Ministry had announced that the missiles targeted the Taganrog military airfield in southern Rostov. Although fragments caused minor damage to nearby facilities and vehicles, no major destruction was reported.
The Ministry emphasized that attacks involving Western-supplied long-range weapons would not go unanswered. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised his military for delivering “significant blows” to Russian targets but did not comment on the missile claims.
