Biden administration officials have denied having any prior knowledge of the alleged assassination attempt on Russian President Vladimir Putin, following an attack on the Kremlin by a drone from Ukraine, Politico reports.
In response to accusations by the Kremlin that Ukraine was responsible for the attack, Kyiv has denied the allegations, instead arguing that the attack was a pretext created by Russia to escalate the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
Ukraine attempted a drone strike on the Kremlin, targeting Vladimir Putin. It failed. pic.twitter.com/4KyNh1k6bw
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) May 3, 2023
According to two anonymous US officials, the Biden administration is currently working to identify who conducted the attack and whether it was ordered by Kyiv or carried out by a pro-Ukraine group.
One of the officials stated that if Ukraine was responsible, they had no advance knowledge of the incident.
However, some experts have dismissed the notion that the attack was an assassination attempt, describing it as “absolutely ludicrous” and highlighting the minimal damage that could be caused by a makeshift drone.
Senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Polodyak, also rejected claims that Ukraine was involved in the attack, arguing that it would only lead to further missile attacks by Moscow. “Why would we need this? Where is the logic in that?” he asked.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed skepticism about comments from the Kremlin, telling the Washington Post that he was taking them with a “large shaker of salt.”
US does not encourage Ukraine to strike on the territory of the Russian Federation – the White House on the question of involvement in the attack of drones
Do we believe? pic.twitter.com/CfKfqoNLQC
— Spriter (@Spriter99880) May 3, 2023
Senior Biden administration officials continue to investigate the incident and are seeking to confirm the identity of those responsible. “After 14 months of deadly Russian strikes against civilian targets across all of Ukraine, the Kremlin whining about a drone strike that hits the Kremlin merits zero sympathy,” said retired Gen. Ben Hodges on the attack, justifying the strike if it does indeed end up being at the hands of Ukrainians.
