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“This is derived from intelligence in which we have confidence,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said Thursday. “Otherwise we would not be making it public in the way we are.”
The Pentagon announced thedeployment of 3,000 U.S. troopsto Eastern Europe on Thursday. Thousands more were previously told to be on heightened alert.
Administration officials have said that Russian President Vladimir Putin could launch an invasion at any moment, warning of serious consequences if he does so.
“This video, if released, could provide Putin the spark he needs to initiate and justify military operations against Ukraine,” a senior administration officialtoldTheWashington Post, which first reported the alleged plan to stage a fake attack.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the U.S. allegation in Russian state media, thePostreports.
RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“What evidence do you have to support the idea that there is some propaganda film in the making?” Associated Press reporter Matt Lee asked Price on Thursday. “Where is this information?”
“I just delivered it,” Price replied.
“That’s not evidence,” the reporter objected. “That’s you saying it. I’m sorry … I would like to see some proof.”
The exchange was somewhat heated. Price replied that the information was declassified but in a way that would protect U.S. intelligence sources and methods.
“I’m sorry that you are doubting the information that is in possession of the U.S. government,” Price said. “This is information that’s available to us. We are making it available to you … for a couple reasons. One, the attempt to deter the Russians from going ahead with this activity. Two, in the event we are not able to do that, in the event the Russians do go ahead of it, to make it clear as day, to lay bare the fact that this has always been an attempt on the part of the Russian Federation to fabricate a pretext.”
Defending his skepticism, the AP reporter referenced the fruitless search for “weapons of mass destruction” that led to the invasion of Iraq two decades ago.
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The back and forth continued, with Price reiterating his statement that U.S. officials wouldn’t reveal information if they weren’t confident in its veracity but adamantly saying that providing evidence could compromise sources of the intelligence.
source: people.com
