‘Trump said he trusts Putin’: Russia accused of Chernobyl drone attack after Trump claimed Putin wants peace
Hours after President Donald Trump claimed that Russia wants peace and that he can trust Vladimir Putin, Ukraine accused Russia of launching a drone attack on Chernobyl.
Trump recently claimed he had begun peace negotiations to end the Russo-Ukrainian War. While ending the war was one of his campaign promises, concerns have arisen that he may favor Russia in the negotiations. After all, he has long vocalized his admiration of Putin and once stated he thought his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine was “smart.” Trump has also had a tense relationship with Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected his suggestion that he interfere in the 2020 election by investigating Joe Biden. Concerns that he would favor Russia were largely confirmed when Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth suggested they had already ruled out Ukraine joining NATO, which Russia is vehemently opposed to. He also warned Ukraine not to expect to return to its pre-2014 borders.
Many noticed that Hegseth only focused on what Ukraine would give up and what hopes it would need to abandon. When asked what concessions Russia would make, Hegseth couldn’t answer. Meanwhile, Trump had the audacity to claim that he “trusts” Putin and believes he wants peace. However, hours after insisting Russia wanted peace, the country was accused of attacking Chernobyl.
Russia allegedly attacks Chernobyl
In the early morning hours, Chernobyl, the nuclear power plant in Ukraine, was attacked by a drone strike. Chornobyl was the site of a 1986 nuclear disaster when an explosion in Reactor No. 4 caused massive amounts of radioactive material to leak into the environment. On February 14, a Russian drone struck the protective concrete shell that was constructed around the destroyed Reactor No. 4. The strike was caught on camera, with video showing the massive explosion and the gaping hole left in the protective outer shell following the attack.
Fortunately, Zelensky confirmed that radiation levels in the area remained normal, and the attack did not breach the inner protective shell. He blamed the attack on Russia, though Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied the accusations. As of now, it’s too early to determine who was behind the attack, though Russia has been accused of risking a major nuclear disaster since its invasion of Ukraine and has continued launching missile and drone strikes despite alleged peace negotiations. Without evidence, Peskov claimed it was a staged attack meant to derail peace negotiations.
On social media, President Trump was slammed for his claims that Russia wanted peace. If Russia was behind the attack, it is a strong indication that Putin is playing Trump and isn’t actually interested in peace. Additionally, Trump favoring Russia and touting his trust in Putin may actually be emboldening Russia. After all, its alleged attack risked a nuclear disaster that potentially could have impacted regions beyond Ukraine. On X, Artic Friend summarized the incident, “Yesterday: Trump said he trusts Putin. Today: A Russian drone hit the shelter that protects the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.”
Trump has not yet publicly addressed the alleged attack. However, MAGAs on X are already mindlessly repeating the unsubstantiated Russian propaganda claims that Ukraine launched the attack on itself. It remains to be seen if Russian claims will sway Trump or if the potential attack will weigh into his peace negotiations.
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