Reporter Draws Laugh At Briefing Asking About Russian Spox’s Drone Attack ‘Lie’: ‘Why Would He Lie About That?’
White House chief National Security Spokesman John Kirby drew laughs with an incredulous response to a reporter who asked “Why would (Russia spokesman Dmitry Peskov) lie about” the drone strike on the Kremlin.
Russia has been trying to push the idea that a video they released shows a drone attack on the Kremlin that was a Ukrainian attempt on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s life, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied.
At a press conference Thursday, Peskov tried to rope the United States in, baselessly accusing Washington of ordering the strike:
“Attempts to disown this, both in Kyiv and in Washington, are, of course, absolutely ridiculous. We know very well that decisions about such actions, about such terrorist attacks, are made not in Kyiv but in Washington,” said Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
He said the United States was “undoubtedly” behind the incident and added – again without stating evidence – that Washington often selected both the targets for Ukraine to attack, and the means to attack them.
“This is also often dictated from across the ocean … In Washington they must clearly understand that we know this,” Peskov said.
Kirby took questions for the first half of Thursday’s press briefing after opening remarks in which he flatly called Peskov’s claim a “lie.”
Reuters White House correspondent Trevor Hunnicutt wanted Kirby to elaborate, asking him “Why would he lie about that?”
TREVOR HUNNICUTT: So you called what Peskov said a “lie” just a moment ago. Could you talk a little bit about what the motivation for that could or would be and are…
JOHN KIRBY: Motivation for his lies?
TREVOR HUNNICUTT: Yeah. Well. Why why would he, why would he lie about that? And are you concerned that it’s the first step in an escalation as far as conflict there?
JOHN KIRBY: Have you seen any Peskov press conferences? (LAUGHTER)
I won’t even begin to try to guesstimate my, why that man says what he says or what was behind that.
Although I will say, you know, from the very beginning, the Russians have been trying to paint this war as some sort of fight with the West against Russia, NATO’s against Russia, the United States against Russia. So it perfectly fits in his frame. The framing that President Putin has tried to label this war as like it was some sort of existential threat to mother Russia. And of course, it’s not. Russia is the aggressor here.
Watch above via C-SPAN.
