Russia's Lavrov claims Pentagon officials have threatened Putin with assassination

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has claimed that unnamed US military officials have threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin with assassination.

"The one who's gone the farthest of all the others is in Washington. There are some 'anonymous officials' from the Pentagon who have actually enunciated threats to deliver a 'decapitating strike' on the Kremlin, which is in fact an assassination threat against the Russian president," Lavrov said in an interview with TASS news agency on Tuesday.

"If someone really has such ideas, then this someone should think long and hard about the possible consequences of such plans," he said.

Lavrov also referred to provocative signals that he said were coming from the West about a nuclear strike. "It seems that they have shed all vestiges of respectability," he said. "The notorious [ex-British Prime Minister] Liz Truss is a vivid example, given that she directly and publicly said during her pre-election campaign that she was ready to order a nuclear strike," the Russian official said.

"I am not even mentioning here the Kiev regime's over-the-top provocations," Lavrov said. "[Ukrainian President] Vladimir Zelensky had gone as far as urging NATO states to deliver preventive nuclear strikes against Russia. This crosses the line of what is acceptable. However, we heard far worse statements from figures within the [Kiev] regime," he added.

Lavrov to Ukraine: Fulfill our proposals or Russian army will decide issue

Russia says Ukraine is fully aware of Moscow

Russia invaded Ukraine in February, saying it aimed to demilitarize two breakaway Ukrainian regions with ethnic Russian populations. Moscow said at the time that Kiev had violated the terms of a peace agreement with those regions, which Russia annexed later in the course of the war. But the Russian military also simultaneously attacked other regions in Ukraine, including the capital, Kiev.   

Lavrov said on Monday that Kiev was fully aware of Russia's demands and could simply fulfill them to bring an end to the war.

"Our proposals for the demilitarization and denazification of the territories controlled by the [Kiev] regime, [and] the elimination of threats to Russia's security emanating from there, including our new lands, are well-known to the enemy," the Russian foreign minister said, adding, "The point is simple: Fulfill them for your own good. Otherwise, the issue will be decided by the Russian army."

But Dmitry Medvedov, former president and current deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, said in a recent article that Moscow would continue the war until the "disgusting, almost fascist regime" in Kiev is removed and the country is totally demilitarized.

Since the start of the war, the United States and Europe have slapped waves of sanctions on Moscow and have been assisting Ukraine with weaponry and financial aid.

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