The United States Denies Kremlin’s Accusations of Involvement in Ukraine Raid

On Friday, August 16, an influential assistant to Russian President Putin claimed that Western countries, led by the United States and NATO, helped plan the Ukrainian assault on the Kursk region of Russia. However, Washington denied these allegations.

On Thursday, August 15, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh stated that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a discussion with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to gain better understanding of Ukraine’s objectives.

Simultaneously, the United States expresses concerns over the escalation of war between Russia and Ukraine.

On August 6, Ukrainian forces conducted a cross-border assault on Russia. This marks Ukraine’s boldest counterattack since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the largest foreign invasion of Russia since World War II.

Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, mentioned on the second day of the Ukrainian assault that the U.S. was unaware of the offensive and would seek more details from Ukraine.

The Pentagon spokesperson stated that U.S. officials believe the Ukrainian forces are efficiently pushing back Russian troops from the areas they occupy.

The Pentagon also pledged to “stand with Ukraine for the long term” and noted that the current Ukrainian offensive on Kursk would not alter the types of weapons provided by the Ukraine Defense Liaison Group, a coalition of over fifty countries.

Ukrainian authorities stated that the assault was intended to compel Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, to engage in “fair” peace negotiations.

In an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia, influential Kremlin hardliner Nikolai Patrushev claimed that the actions in Kursk were orchestrated with the involvement of NATO and Western special forces, suggesting that without their participation and direct support, Kyiv would not have ventured into Russian territory. However, no evidence was provided to support these claims.

According to a Kremlin statement released on Friday, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and presidential assistant Patrushev, among other top officials, participated in a Security Council meeting hosted by Putin to discuss the “new tactical solutions” implemented in the “special military operations.”

Putin has consistently attempted to portray the largest European war in seventy years as a limited “special military operation.”

The Kremlin warned that Ukraine would pay the price for U.S. intervention. Reuters cited a Russian source stating that Ukraine’s assault could embolden hardliners in Moscow advocating for an expanded conflict.

While Ukraine’s attack exposed vulnerabilities in Russian defenses and shifted public perceptions of the conflict, Russian officials stated that the “terrorist invasion” by Ukraine would not change the course of the war.

According to an anonymous U.S. official quoted by Reuters, if Ukraine begins using U.S. weapons and vehicles to attack Russian villages and other non-military targets, it could be seen as a breach of previously imposed restrictions by the U.S. to avoid any direct NATO-Russia conflict impressions.