TYPICAL OF BULLIES, U.S. HAS ‘NO GUTS’ TO CONDEMN DRONE ATTACKS, PUTIN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT – INDEED, HOW WOULD AMERICANS REACT IF A DRONE HIT WHITE HOUSE & THREATENED BIDEN’S LIFE? – YET WASHINGTON IS ‘SHIELDING THE KIEV CRIMINALS,’ SAYS RUSSIAN ENVOY – ‘HOW WOULD AMERICANS REACT IF A DRONE HIT THE WHITE HOUSE, THE CAPITOL, OR THE PENTAGON? THE ANSWER IS OBVIOUS FOR ANY POLITICIAN AS WELL AS FOR AN AVERAGE CITIZEN: THE PUNISHMENT WILL BE HARSH & INEVITABLE’

His statement came after Putin’s office reported that two Ukrainian UAVs had been disabled by air defenses while trying to strike the president’s Kremlin residence in Moscow early Wednesday morning.

Putin was not in the Kremlin when the incidents took place, and no one was hurt.

“We hoped that the administration [of US President Joe Biden] would have the guts and dignity to condemn this terrorist act,” Antonov said, according to the embassy’s Telegram channel. He called claims that the raid was a false-flag operation “deceitful” and accused Washington of “shielding the Kiev criminals.” 

How would Americans react if a drone hit the White House, the Capitol, or the Pentagon? The answer is obvious for any politician as well as for an average citizen: The punishment will be harsh and inevitable.

Antonov reiterated Russia’s claim that the failed drone strike was a terrorist attack and an attempt on Putin’s life. He noted that the raid occurred just days before the World War II Victory Day parade on Red Square next Tuesday, which will be attended by Putin, senior officials, and foreign guests. Antonov added that the raid demonstrates that “our adversaries have no desire to seek peace.”

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky denied that his country was involved in the raid.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Wednesday that the US could not “in any way validate” Russia’s claims about the attack. “I would take anything coming out of the Kremlin with a very large shaker of salt,” he added.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said the US could not confirm the “authenticity” of Russian reports about the incident. She continued by saying that Washington is “not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders.”

The Kremlin said Russia would retaliate to the raid “anywhere and anytime it deems necessary.” RT.COM

• US denies allegation it was behind drone attack

  Russia’s claims that the US was behind a drone attack on the Kremlin are false, White House national security spokesman John Kirby says.

  “I can assure you that there was no involvement by the United States in this. Whatever it was did not involve us,” Kirby told MSNBC in an interview. “We had nothing to do with this.”

  The United States does not encourage or enable Ukraine to strike outside its borders, he added.

  Kirby said it was still unclear what exactly happened at the Kremlin and that Washington was still looking into the incident. – ALJAZEERA

  ‘Absolutely ridiculous’ for Kyiv and US to disown drone: Kremlin

  The Kremlin says it is “absolutely ridiculous” for Kyiv and Washington to try to disown Wednesday’s alleged drone attack.

  Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Washington should be aware that Russia knew it was selecting the targets and Ukraine was merely implementing US plans.

  But he did not provide any evidence to support the claim.

  “Attempts to disown this, both in Kyiv and in Washington, are, of course, absolutely ridiculous. We know very well that decisions about such actions, about such terrorist attacks, are made not in Kyiv but in Washington,” Peskov said.

  He alleged that the United States often selected both the targets for Ukraine to attack and the means to attack them.  AL JAZEERA

RT.COM  / AL JAZEERA

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