NEW DELHI: Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian President and current deputy head of the Russian Security Council, has expressed suspicions that recent allegations of an assassination plot against Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy might indicate that Western powers are seeking to eliminate him. This claim follows the arrest in Poland of a man accused of attempting to collaborate with Russian intelligence to target Zelenskyy.
The suspect, identified only as Pawel K, was reportedly trying to gather sensitive information about Rzeszow–Jasionka Airport in Poland, a key logistical hub used to transport Nato-supplied weapons to Ukraine. Polish authorities suggest that Pawel K’s intelligence could have been used to facilitate an attack on Zelenskyy during a potential visit to Poland, a Russia Today report said.
Medvedev reacted to these developments with a stark warning on social media, saying, “An attempt on the life of the chief Banderite [Zelenskyy] in Poland? That is truly serious. It may be the first piece of evidence that people in the West have made a decision to liquidate him. Be afraid, clown!” His use of the term “Banderite” references Stepan Bandera, a controversial Ukrainian nationalist leader from World War II, reflecting the deep-seated animosity in the narrative.
The case has drawn attention from both Polish and Ukrainian authorities, with Kiev’s security service repeating the allegations and suggesting that the suspect was in touch with Russian operatives directly involved in the Ukraine conflict. This comes amidst ongoing assertions from Zelenskyy that Russia has long been attempting to assassinate him, claims that are contradicted by former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s recounting of assurances from Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moscow had no plans to kill the Ukrainian leader.
If convicted, Pawel K faces up to eight years in prison for attempting to cooperate with a foreign power against Poland’s national interests. This incident underscores the complex geopolitical tensions surrounding Ukraine and the ongoing war.
(With agency inputs)
The suspect, identified only as Pawel K, was reportedly trying to gather sensitive information about Rzeszow–Jasionka Airport in Poland, a key logistical hub used to transport Nato-supplied weapons to Ukraine. Polish authorities suggest that Pawel K’s intelligence could have been used to facilitate an attack on Zelenskyy during a potential visit to Poland, a Russia Today report said.
Medvedev reacted to these developments with a stark warning on social media, saying, “An attempt on the life of the chief Banderite [Zelenskyy] in Poland? That is truly serious. It may be the first piece of evidence that people in the West have made a decision to liquidate him. Be afraid, clown!” His use of the term “Banderite” references Stepan Bandera, a controversial Ukrainian nationalist leader from World War II, reflecting the deep-seated animosity in the narrative.
The case has drawn attention from both Polish and Ukrainian authorities, with Kiev’s security service repeating the allegations and suggesting that the suspect was in touch with Russian operatives directly involved in the Ukraine conflict. This comes amidst ongoing assertions from Zelenskyy that Russia has long been attempting to assassinate him, claims that are contradicted by former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s recounting of assurances from Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moscow had no plans to kill the Ukrainian leader.
If convicted, Pawel K faces up to eight years in prison for attempting to cooperate with a foreign power against Poland’s national interests. This incident underscores the complex geopolitical tensions surrounding Ukraine and the ongoing war.
(With agency inputs)