The U.S. government has shown doubt over the assertion made by Russia that Ukraine had attacked the residence of President Vladimir Putin, where the American ambassador to NATO said it is still not clear if the incident took place at all.

During his appearance on the Fox Business show Varney & Co. on Tuesday (December 30), U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker revealed that he was looking forward to receiving intelligence assessments from the U.S. and its allies before making any judgments.

“It is unclear whether it actually happened,” Whitaker said, referring to the alleged attack, which Ukraine has firmly denied. He added that it would be unusual for Kyiv to carry out such an action at a time when efforts toward a peace deal appear to be nearing a breakthrough.

“It seems a little indelicate to be this close to a peace deal, with Ukraine clearly wanting an agreement, and then do something that would be seen as reckless or unhelpful,” Whitaker noted.

Monday, December 29th, Russia announced that Ukraine had sent 91 long-range drones to attack a presidential royal house in the Novgorod area. Moscow vowed to respond and take a tougher stance in the peace talks that were ongoing.

Ukraine rejected the accusations as untrue and charged Russia with spinning the tale to cover its next move. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine remarked on Tuesday that Russia had not presented any proof for its assertion “for the simple reason that there isn’t any.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that President Putin had told him during a phone call that Ukraine attempted to strike the residence, adding that he was “very angry” over the alleged incident. When asked whether there was proof, Trump said, “We’ll find out.”

The White House declined to comment further, while U.S. intelligence agencies have remained silent on the matter. The CIA also declined to issue a statement.

Whitaker said the focus would remain on intelligence verification. “We’re going to get to the bottom of the intelligence. What matters most is what the United States and our allies’ intelligence services conclude about whether this attack actually happened,” he said.

The comments come amid renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war. Following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida on Sunday (December 28), Trump said the two sides might be “very close” to reaching an agreement, although major territorial disputes remain unresolved.

Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s denial on Tuesday, calling the alleged strike “a complete fabrication” intended to justify further Russian attacks, including on Kyiv, and to delay meaningful steps toward ending the conflict.

Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, currently occupies nearly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory and claims its forces are continuing to advance.