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First published on May 3, Updated on May 4, 2023
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The drone attack directed against the Kremlin (allegedly) with a view to killing President Putin is no trivial matter.
The Kremlin is the seat of the Russian government, comparable to the White House.
How would America have reacted in the case of a drone attack directed against the White House?
The media would have gone into high gear.
A UAV attack on behalf of a foreign power directed against the White House and America’s President would have immediately been categorized as an “Act of War” against the United States of America.
Sofar [May 3], both the Western and Russian media have downplayed the event.
Moscow has accused the Kiev regime. Did US-NATO have prior knowledge? Is there a hidden agenda?
Was the UAV attack intent upon disrupting the preparations of Russia’s Victory Day May 9 Celebration in commemoration of its victory in World War II against Nazi Germany.
Russia’s Presidential Press Service issued the following message (May 3, 2023):
“Last night, the Kiev regime attempted a drone strike against the residence of the President of the Russian Federation at the Kremlin.
Two unmanned aerial vehicles targeted the Kremlin. Timely action by the military and special services involving radar systems enabled them to disable the devices. They crashed in the Kremlin grounds, scattering fragments without causing any casualties or damage.
We view these actions as a planned terrorist attack and an assassination attempt targeting the President, carried out ahead of Victory Day and the May 9 Parade, where foreign guests are expected to be present, among others.
The President has not suffered in this terrorist attack. His working schedule remains unchanged and follows its ordinary course.
Russia reserves the right to take countermeasures wherever and whenever it deems appropriate.
Ukraine’s “Counteroffensive”
In a bitter irony, the May 3, 2023 drone attack on the Kremlin coincides with the (announced) launching of Ukraine’s much awaited Spring “counteroffensive” against Russian forces.
According to the leaked Pentagon documents (including confirmed reports that Ukraine is Running “Out of Ammo”) Kiev’s “counteroffensive” would in all likelihood lead to a devastating military disaster, resulting in mass Ukrainian casualties.
In this regard, the failed drone attack on the Kremlin (allegedly) ordered by Zelensky in consultation with Washington, nonetheless tends to foreclose an urgent “diplomatic solution” involving negotiations regarding a cease fire and the holding of peace talks. Is the failed drone attack a Propaganda Ploy on behalf of Washington to obstruct the holding of peace talks?
Astonishing footage of last night’s drone attack on the Kremlin pic.twitter.com/3rghCHdIed
— Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) May 3, 2023
“We Did not Know Beforehand”
Was there coordination between Washington and Kiev in the planning of the UAV operation? U.S. officials claim they had no prior knowledge of the attack.
Source, MNBC, May 3, 2023
“In the aftermath of Blinken’s statement, there were attempts by Washington and Kiev to walk back their open involvement in the operation. “We didn’t attack Putin,” said Zelensky. But this claim was belied by the announcement by the Ukrainian Postal Service just hours after the attack that it would issue a stamp depicting the Kremlin in flames.
US officials likewise told the New York Times, Washington Post and other newspapers that the United States did not know about the attacks beforehand. Going a step further, James Nixey of the pro-imperialist Chatham House think tank declared the attack was a “false flag” by the Kremlin. (WSWS, May 4, 2023, emphasis added)
The strained channels of bilateral US-Russia diplomacy are increasingly in a straight jacket. On Thursday May 4, the Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated categorically that Ukraine had acted on U.S. orders. (See Reuters, May 5, 2023)
White House national security spokesman John Kirby retorted saying that “Peskov was “just lying”.(Reuters)
At a White House Press briefing (May 3, 2023): MS. JEAN-PIERRE [chair] confirmed with some hesitation that “the United States neither encouraged nor enabled Ukraine to strike outside its borders.” (See below)
Transcript: Selected Questions and (Confused) Answers. White House May 3, 2023 Press Briefing
Chaired by Ms. Karine Jean-Pierre
emphasis added
Q Thank you. Has the administration determined that there’s any validity to Russia’s claim that it’s thwarted an attempted drone strike on the Kremlin aimed at President Putin?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we are aware of the reports but are unable to confirm the authenc- — authenticity of them at this time. And so I don’t want to get into speculation from here about what happened. But we are — we are indeed aware of the reports.
…
Go ahead, Mary.
Q I understand that you can’t confirm the authenticity of this alleged drone attack. But regardless of that, how concerned are you, as Ukrainian officials have suggested, that Russia could use this to launch some new kind of provocation?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I — I want to be super mindful here. Again, we’ve heard the reports. Not something we want to — that we are able to confirm. I want to be incredibly mindful here.
It is really too early to tell, as you asked me about a false flag, essentially. But, obviously, Russia has a history of doing things like this.
But again, I don’t want to speculate; I don’t want to get into hypotheticals from here. But we’re just unable to confirm at this time.
…
Go ahead, Nandita.
Q Thanks, Karine. Just a quick question on Russia. A senior aide to Zelenskyy called the acquisition from Russia a sign that the Kremlin was planning a major new attack. I know you don’t want to speculate on the — the authenticity of the attack overnight, but do you — does the U.S. have any signs to believe that the Russians are planning a new major attack?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, you know, just not going to — not going to just get ahead — I’m not going to get ahead of — I know about the conversation or that reporting. I just don’t — want to be really careful. I just don’t want to — I’m not able to confirm anything from here, and so just don’t want to speak further on that.
Q But just — just anything on false-flag operations and, you know, how — how they have evolved? We’ve continued to sort of see the administration talk about it. Any — any new details on that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, just as I said moments ago to your colleague: Look, we — we know that Russia has a history of doing this. They have a history of doing false flag. It is not unusual. It is incredibly common. I just don’t want to speculate at this time.
What I can say, and we have said many times, is that we have been in discussion with our allies and partners about — about the situation. I would have to just check back to see when is the last time they had a conversation with President Zelenskyy. [ Nonsense ] I just don’t have anything to share at this time.
Q Given the critical moment that the war is in and the fact that Ukraine is poised to potentially, sometime soon, launch its spring counteroffensive and now this incident that we started talking about at the top of the briefing with the drone, how concerned is the White House that those leaks could strain the U.S. relationship with Ukraine at this critical moment?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, we’ve been very clear. I mean, we just — we’re about to announce another — another critical security assistance to — to Ukraine. I think that shows our commitment.
And we have been very clear that we will support Ukraine as they defend their country against Russia’s invasion, and they will — and that will continue. That will not stop.
And again, we’re announcing a security assistance. I think that shows how — how much we are committed to them fighting for their freedom, fighting — the Ukrainian people fighting for their democracy.
And so, we’ve been very clear in not just security assistance and humanitarian aid and economic aid. And that will continue from here.
2:31 P.M. EDT
May 3, 2023 Interview. “We simply Do not Know”. [ Nonsense ]
C-Span: …What is the United States’ position on such attacks on leadership during this war by Ukraine or other combatants?
Blinken: Well first, I’ve seen the reports, I can’t in any way validate them, we simply don’t know. … We’ll see what the facts are, and it’s really hard to speculate on this without knowing what the facts are.
Blinken: … we leave it to Ukraine to decide how it’s going to defend itself, and how it’s going to try to get back the territory that’s been seized from it illegally by Russia over the past fourteen months and going back to 2014, back to them.
C-Span So, to clarify, if Ukraine decided on its own to strike back in Russian territory, the United States would not criticise them.
A: Again, these are decisions for Ukraine to make, how it’s going to defend itself, how it’s going to get its territory back, how it’s going to restore its territorial integrity, and its sovereignty.
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