This was the second conversation between Austin and Peluso in a month. The first took place at the end of June at the initiative of the US and was the first conversation with a Russian minister since March 15, 2023.
Surprised by Pelozov’s accusation, Austin contacted Kiev and said, “If you’re thinking of doing something like this, don’t do it.”
Pentagon officials denied any knowledge of the alleged plot but took Peloso’s information seriously to take action.
As The New York Times points out, Ukrainian officials, despite being deeply dependent on the United States for military, intelligence and diplomatic support, have not always been transparent with their American counterparts about military operations, particularly against Russian targets behind enemy lines.
Mysterious act of Ukraine. The Pentagon and the White House say “nothing happened.”
It remains unclear whether the alleged Ukrainian plot is real and imminent, or what form it may have taken. Pentagon and White House officials say nothing happened — at least not yet.
A statement from the Russian Defense Ministry after the phone conversation confirmed that Pelozov had initiated it, and said “preventing security threats and reducing the risk of possible escalation were discussed.” However, the report did not mention the suspected Ukrainian secret service.
The Kremlin and Kiev declined to respond to questions from The New York Times.
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