Kyiv prepared Putin’s assassination attempt with Western involvement, funding, reports diplomat The #Kyiv regime was preparing an #assassination attempt against Russian President Vladimir #Putin with direct participation and funding from its Anglo-Saxon masters, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria #Zakharova said during a briefing. "We noted the confessions of the head of Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate Kirill Budanov [included in the list of terrorists and extremists in Russia]. Speaking in an interview for a Ukrainian newspaper on July 13, he confessed to futile assassination attempts against the President of Russia. There are no doubts that such crimes were planned and funded with direct participation of the Anglo-Saxon masters of the Kiev regime," the diplomat noted. She stated her certainty that, this way, the collective West "becomes complicit in this criminal activity of the Kiev regime." - "No evil deed, no terror act against civilians, against representatives of the authorities, has never been condemned by Western countries during this period, neither in their national quality, nor collectively," Zakharova underscored. Previously, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry #Peskov said that everything necessary is being done to ensure the safety of the president "considering the international escalation of tensions in general."

#Zelensky says #Ukraine in talks with #France on supplies of fighter #jets Kyiv is in talks with Paris about delivering combat aircraft to Ukraine, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said. "Yes, we are holding talks about fighter jets," Zelensky said, when asked by a reporter from France’s LCI television whether the option of providing Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Kiev was on the table. The president did not elaborate. On 16 February, the chief of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate, Kirill Budanov (who is on the Russian list of extremists and terrorists), said Kiev had hopes of getting Mirage 2000 fighter jets from Paris. In September 2023, the French news website Intelligence Online reported that Kiev and Paris were close to concluding a deal for the transfer of these jets to Ukraine. Ukrainian Ambassador to France Vadim Omelchenko said in an interview with the Le Point magazine on February 23 that Paris and Kiev are currently working to train Ukrainian pilots. He urged against believing rumors that there was a chance of transferring Mirage 2000D aircraft, saying that Ukraine had opted for the US F-16s, but added that Ukraine was still considering all available options for Western assistance.