RT.com
08 Jun 2023, 15:43 GMT+10
The Washington Post has claimed the leader was deliberately kept in the dark about an alleged plot by the Ukrainian military
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has claimed he had no knowledge of an alleged plot by his government to blow up the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The plan was reportedly uncovered by a European nation, which subsequently informed Washington.
"I am president and I give orders accordingly," Zelensky said, as cited by Politico on Thursday. "Nothing of the sort has been done by Ukraine. I would never act that way."
The alleged intelligence tip was reported by the Washington Post on Tuesday, based on leaked classified Pentagon materials. The pipelines, which were built to carry gas from Russia to Germany, were ruptured by powerful explosions last September, and the newspaper claimed that the US had learned of Ukrainian preparations for a sabotage operation three months prior from an unidentified ally.
The alleged mission was run by Valery Zaluzhny, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, rather than rogue agents, the Post claimed. Zaluzhny was placed in charge so that Zelensky "wouldn't know about the operation" and could maintain plausible deniability, it was reported.
"I didn't know anything, 100%," the president said in the interview. "I said, 'Show us proof. If our military is supposed to have done this, show us proof.'"
According to the Post, Ukraine wanted to blow up the pipelines following NATO's BALTOPS naval exercise in June 2022. Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh previously claimed that the drills were used as cover to plant remotely triggered explosives, but stated that it was US and Norwegian divers who had done so, acting on orders from US President Joe Biden. Washington and Oslo have denied Hersh's allegations.
Zelensky's ability to control his own secret services was previously placed in question by other materials in the trove of leaked Pentagon documents, which were allegedly shared by US Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira. One of the documents stated that the US believed that the Ukrainian agents behind an attack in March on a Russian airborne radar stationed in Belarus had not informed the president about their plans.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Europe 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 Europe Sun.
More InformationRALEIGH/COLUMBIA: Dry weather, strong winds, and fallen trees from Hurricane Helene have sparked wildfires in North Carolina and South...
GENEVA,.Switzerland - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has expressed profound outrage following...
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Tesla is finally entering Saudi Arabia, with a launch scheduled for next month—marking a significant shift in...
BRUSSELS, Belgium: Apple appears to have dodged a major regulatory setback in Europe, following recent changes to how users select...
WASHINGTON, D.C: FBI Director Kash Patel said this week the bureau was probing what he called the increase in violent activity toward...
GAZA - Israel is refusing to allow search parties to access an area where 9 Red Cross ambulance crew members have gone missing in Gaza....
NEW YORK CITY, New York: A drop in mortgage rates and more housing inventory helped drive a surge in mortgage activity at Bank of America...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. President Donald Trump said this week he would work to see federal funding end for news outlets NPR and PBS....
LONDON/NEW YORK CITY: A cup of coffee could soon cost you a lot more. Roasters worldwide are warning of double-digit price hikes as...
NEW YORK, New York - Industrial stocks advanced while the tech sector was under considerable prressure Monday as Liberation Day, approaches....
BERLIN/DETROIT: Automakers worldwide are bracing for the impact of sweeping new U.S. tariffs that could reshape global vehicle production...
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina: Dollar Tree is cutting ties with its struggling Family Dollar chain in a US$1 billion deal that marks the...