MOSCOW: The Kremlin announced on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not receive an invitation from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to attend his inauguration in January. The statement comes amid reports that Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to the event. According to Anadolu Agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed journalists in Moscow, stating that no invitation from Trump had been extended to Putin. This announcement follows a report by CBS News, which claimed that Trump had invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration on January 20, citing multiple sources. The report indicated that the invitation to Xi was extended in early November, shortly after Trump's election victory, but it remains uncertain whether Xi has accepted. In a separate matter, Peskov responded to claims by the Russian Defense Ministry regarding the downing of six U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missiles fired by Ukraine. He reiterated the ministry's assertion that Moscow would respond to the attack. Peskov emphasized that a response would occur "when and in the way" deemed appropriate by Moscow, and that it would "definitely follow." The Russian Defense Ministry stated on Wednesday that the missiles were intercepted near the Taganrog military airfield in Russia's Rostov region. Fragments from the missiles reportedly caused minor damage to nearby facilities and vehicles, but no significant harm was reported. The ministry warned that the use of Western-made long-range weapons would not go unanswered, and that appropriate measures would be taken in response. On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged the efforts of his country's soldiers following a meeting with Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Zelenskyy praised the military for delivering "tangible blows on Russian targets," including military, fuel, and energy facilities, as stated on his Telegram channel.