“Ukraine was planning a top secret operation to hit Russia.” This was revealed today by the New York Timesaccording to which on July 12th there was a phone call between Andrei Belousov And Lloyd Austin in which the Russian Defense Minister reportedly informed the head of the Pentagon that he had learned of a secret plan organized by Kiev to attack Russia.
The American newspaper, in revealing this news, cites three US officials as sources, who explain that the reason behind the phone call made by Belousov was to know whether the White House was aware of and had given Kiev the go-ahead to carry out such an operation, as it could have meant a dangerous escalation between the two nuclear superpowers. According to the reconstruction of the NewtHowever, Lloyd was surprised by what the Russian Defense Minister revealed to him, to the point that the Pentagon immediately contacted the President’s Office Volodymyr Zelensky saying, in essence, “if you’re thinking of doing something like that, don’t do it.” The New York Times article also notes that, despite the United States providing military aid to Kiev, Ukrainian officials are not always transparent about their military operations, especially when it comes to the sensitive issue of using Western weapons to strike Russia on its soil.
At the moment, however, no confirmation has arrived, nor any denial, from the interested parties regarding the indiscretion reported by the American newspaper. Both the Kremlin and the Russian Ministry of Defense, like the Ukrainian officials, have preferred not to release any statement on the matter. What emerges from this story, in the meantime, is the first official contact between the new Russian Minister of Defense, who took over from Sergei Shoigu last May, and a representative of the American government. From Washington, the spokesman for the Pentagon Patrick Ryder said Austin “stressed the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.”
In the meantime, while the fighting continues, attempts are being made to open a path to start a peace negotiation. Yesterday, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, Josep Borrellduring a meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Laos, urged China to support the peace process in Ukraine and to stop the export of dual-use goods to Russia, which strengthen its military capabilities. The statement comes shortly after the visit of the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kulebain Beijing. In Vientiane, Laos, there was also Sergei Lavrov. The Russian Foreign Minister reiterated that Moscow will not give up until it achieves its goals: “President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Zelensky prevents himself and all his allies from negotiating with Russia. Nothing happens, everyone turns a deaf ear and continues to call on us for a constructive approach, but in essence, in their view, this means capitulation. This will not happen, all the goals of the special military operation will be achieved,” he recalled. Lavrov.
