WASHINGTON: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said he can not validate Russia’s accusation that Ukraine tried to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack, but said he would take anything coming from the Kremlin with a “very large shaker of salt.”

Russia says Ukraine attacked Kremlin with drones in failed bid to kill Putin

Asked if the United States would criticize Ukraine if it decided on its own to strike back in Russian territory, Blinken said those were decisions for Ukraine to make about how to defend itself.