Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Mary Trump, the estranged niece of President Donald Trump, issued a warning on Friday about what’s becoming “clear” about the Trump administration following a drone strike that hit Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear plant amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.Kyiv has blamed Moscow for the attack, which has denied responsibility.Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email for comment on Saturday morning.Why It MattersMary Trump, a psychologist and media personality, has long been a staunch critic of her uncle’s, issuing often dire warnings about the risk he poses to the government and the country. Through her podcast, books, Substack and mainstream media appearances, she has built much of her personal brand around opposition to her uncle and his political movement.The Trump administration’s actions toward Russia, including that Trump intends to hold further discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and wants Moscow to be invited back to join the Group of Seven (G7) major economies, have raised alarms from many Trump critics as speculation about negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war started by Putin in February 2022 have amplified. However, European allies argue that any exclusion of Ukraine from talks risks undermining its sovereignty and security.What To KnowIn a Friday video posted to X, formerly Twitter, Mary Trump warned on what’s becoming “clear” about the Trump administration following the recent drone strike.”It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Trump regime is turning away from our allies in order to embrace our enemies. They are dismantling our institutions and rule of law for the sole purpose of protecting and enriching a small kabul of extremely rich, extremely corrupt and extremely anti-american traitors,” she said.This comes after a drone armed with a warhead struck the outer shell of Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear plant on early Friday morning, the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. The strike created a hole in the structure and briefly started a fire.The strike on the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement (NSC) site could have had ramifications that would last years beyond the war, amid fears that deadly radiation and toxic materials could have been released from the site as a result of the strike.While the IAEA said radiation levels continue to be normal, the drone strike on the facility in northern Ukraine demonstrated that the conflict was still in full swing despite speculation about an imminent ceasefire agreement following Trump’s talks with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.Trump said on Wednesday that he and Putin have agreed to begin negotiations “immediately” on ending the Ukraine war and will “work together very closely.”Posting on Truth Social, Trump said he and Putin spoke in a “lengthy” phone call on Wednesday morning. The Kremlin reported that the call lasted approximately 90 minutes and that the two leaders had agreed to meet.In response to Trump’s claims that he and Putin agreed to begin negotiations, Mary Trump said on Friday, “I don’t think we should believe the claims of either of those men.”Meanwhile, her remarks come after Trump was accused of shutting Kyiv and Europe out of peace talks.According to NBC News, speaking at the international security conference in Munich on Friday, Zelensky said he had spoken with Trump and warned him not to believe Putin when he said he wanted to be part of a peace process.”I said to him that he is a liar,” Zelensky said he told Trump about Putin, adding that he urged Trump to increase pressure on Putin because, he said, “I don’t trust him.”Zelensky added that it’s important that no decisions about Ukraine are made without Ukraine.
Mary Trump is seen on September 12, 2024, in New York City.
Mary Trump is seen on September 12, 2024, in New York City.
Dominik Bindl/Getty Images
What People Are SayingUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday about the drone strike: “…This shelter was built by Ukraine together with other countries of Europe and the world, together with America—all those committed to real security for humanity. The only country in the world that attacks such sites, occupies nuclear power plants, and wages war without any regard for the consequences is today’s Russia. This is a terrorist threat to the entire world. The shelter at the Chornobyl NPP was damaged by this drone. The fire has been extinguished. As of now, radiation levels have not increased and are being constantly monitored. According to initial assessments, the damage to the shelter is significant.”He continued: “Every night, Russia carries out such attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and cities. Russia continues to expand its army and shows no change in its deranged, anti-human state rhetoric. This means that Putin is definitely not preparing for negotiations—he is preparing to continue deceiving the world. That is why there must be unified pressure from all who value life—pressure on the aggressor. Russia must be held accountable for its actions.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denied Ukraine’s allegation that Russia was responsible for the strike on Chernobyl, per Tass: “There is no question of any strikes on such nuclear infrastructure sites. Any claims that this was the case do not correspond to reality. The Russian military does not do this.”President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday: “Millions of people have died in a War that would not have happened if I were President, but it did happen, so it must end. No more lives should be lost! I want to thank President Putin for his time and effort with respect to this call, and for the release, yesterday, of Marc Fogel, a wonderful man that I personally greeted last night at the White House. I believe this effort will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon!”What Happens NextFriday’s drone attack will almost certainly complicate potential peace talks over Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Zelensky, appearing at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, told reporters he will not meet with Putin unless the U.S. and Ukraine convene beforehand and come up with a common negotiation strategy.
