Russia denies paying militants to kill US troops in Afghanistan
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The Russian embassy in the US said the claims had led to threats to diplomats.
Russia has denied reports that it offered Taliban-linked militants bounties to kill US troops in Afghanistan, a BBC report said.
Earlier, The New York Times reported that a Russian military intelligence unit offered the alleged bounties last year.
The same unit has been linked to assassination attempts in Europe.
Nobody briefed or told me, @VP Pence, or Chief of Staff @MarkMeadows about the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians, as reported through an “anonymous source” by the Fake News @nytimes. Everybody is denying it & there have not been many attacks on us.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 28, 2020
The Russian embassy in the US said the claims had led to threats to diplomats.
The Taliban also denied doing any deal with Russian intelligence, the report added.
The reports come as the US attempts to negotiate a peace deal to end the 19-year war in Afghanistan.
Stop producing #fakenews that provoke life threats, @nytimes.
— Russia in USA 🇷🇺 (@RusEmbUSA) June 27, 2020
We demand the relevant #US authorities take effective measures to ensure the fulfillment of their international obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. @StateDept @FBI @DHSgov ⬇️ https://t.co/Ows7srg3IH
The purported bounties gave incentives to the guerrillas to target US forces, just as President Donald Trump tries to withdraw troops and end America's longest war.
The newspaper, citing anonymous officials, said that Trump was briefed on the findings in March, but has not decided how to respond.