The US and its allies have installed “crooks and bandits” in the Ukrainian government, the Russian Foreign Ministry has claimed
FILE PHOTO: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova © Sputnik / Russian Foreign Ministry
The US and its allies are ultimately responsible for the actions of the “Kiev regime,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has claimed.
“They destroyed the lawful government in Ukraine [in 2014], put crooks and bandits in charge, provided them with money and weapons, imbued them with a sense of absolute impunity and provided political cover and military support,” Zakharova said on Thursday.
The official stressed that Russia holds “Washington, London, and NATO in general” accountable for all of the Ukrainian government’s actions.
On Wednesday, the office of President Vladimir Putin accused Kiev of launching two drones at the Kremlin in an attempt to assassinate the Russian leader. Ukrainian officials have rejected the allegation, claiming that their country does not attack targets in Russia.
Moscow has warned that it reserves the right to retaliate in a way it deems appropriate and at a time and place of its choosing.
READ MORE: US has ‘no guts’ to condemn drone attack on Kremlin – envoy
Ukrainian troops are expected to launch a long-touted counteroffensive against Russian forces within the coming weeks. Foreign allies have pledged to support Kiev for as long as it takes to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia.
Leading Western media outlets have suggested that the operation could be a decisive moment for the conflict, and that Ukraine may find it difficult to secure future aid, should it fail to make significant gains on the ground.
