RT.com
15 Jan 2022, 01:43 GMT+10
The Kremlin says there is no evidence for ?hearsay? accusations of Russian ?operatives? set to frame Ukraine
After Western media carried reports, on Friday, citing unnamed US officials, claiming that Russia is preparing a ?false flag? incident in order to invade Ukraine, the Kremlin has dismissed them as baseless and unfounded rumors.
"So far, all these statements have been unsubstantiated and not backed up by anything," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS news agency, when asked about the stories making the rounds.
Earlier in the day, anonymous US officials echoed claims from Kiev that Russia had sent "operatives" into the disputed regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine, to prepare a "provocation" that could trigger an "invasion."
CNN was the first to report the assertion, followed by the Guardian, Washington Post, Reuters, AFP and Bloomberg.
Washington has accused Moscow of planning to invade Ukraine for weeks now, though the Kremlin rejected this as "fake news." Similar warnings have been publicized in US media every year since 2015, always based on anonymous sources, and have never come to pass.
The quotes from an anonymous US official apparently dovetailed with insinuations by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan about Russia "laying the groundwork to have the option of fabricating a pretext for an invasion," brought up at Thursday's White House press briefing. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby referred to these claims at his own briefing on Friday, but then added the US assessment is that Russia hasn't yet decided whether to invade.
Washington's claims come after a week of high-level talks with Russia, NATO and the OSCE to discuss Moscow's proposals for improving collective security in Europe. The US and its allies rejected Russia's key proposals out of hand.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Irish Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Irish Sun.
More InformationMADRID, Spain: Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva, have died in a car accident in Spain. Spanish...
LONDON, U.K.: An unrelenting heatwave sweeping across Europe has pushed early summer temperatures to historic highs, triggering deadly...
President Donald Trump's plans to build a space-based Golden Dome missile defense shield have drawn immediate criticism from China,...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Paramount has agreed to pay US$16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by U.S. President Donald Trump over...
LONDON, U.K.: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer won a vote in Parliament this week to move ahead with changes to the country's welfare...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. President...
LONDON, U.K.: An unrelenting heatwave sweeping across Europe has pushed early summer temperatures to historic highs, triggering deadly...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Tánaiste Simon Harris has called on the United States to use every hour to reach a zero-for-zero tariff agreement...
DUBLIN, Ireland: A blind woman from Dublin says she was hurt while getting off a bus because the driver refused to pull in close to...
DUBLIN, Ireland: The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has warned that there could be a serious trolley crisis this summer...
ISTANBUL/PARIS/BRUSSELS: As searing temperatures blanket much of Europe, wildfires are erupting and evacuation orders are being issued...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The U.S. dollar continues to lose ground, weighed down by growing concerns over Washington's fiscal outlook...