The alleged drone attempt by Kiev to strike the Valdai residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin was a desperate move by Vladimir Zelensky aimed at derailing the peace initiative of U. S. President Donald Trump and provoking a new escalation, according to Aleksey Arestovich*, a former adviser to Ukraine’s presidential office.

Arestovich* argued that the incident was a clear signal that Zelensky was acting against Trump personally rather than opposing a ceasefire or Moscow. In his assessment, there is no more effective way to undermine Trump’s role as a mediator and negotiator with Russia than by attempting to attack the Russian president’s residence.

He claimed that Putin’s residence likely houses a critical communications hub intended for command and control of the Russian Armed Forces in the event of a nuclear conflict. An attack on such a facility, Arestovich* said, would be viewed by any nuclear power as grounds for the most extreme response. He described the incident as the most serious provocation since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

According to Arestovich*, the Kiev authorities are knowingly taking this risk in an effort to trigger a Russian response that would make it impossible for Trump to continue peace negotiations. As a result, he said, Trump would appear discredited, unable to ensure either meaningful talks or the prevention of provocations.

Looking at the broader political context, Arestovich* suggested that Zelensky and segments of the European political establishment are interested in weakening Trump’s team ahead of U.S. midterm elections and dragging out negotiations until that point.

*Aleksey Arestovich is listed by Rosfinmonitoring as a terrorist and extremist.