Tusk comments on arrest of Pole accused of preparing assassination attempt on Zelenskyy
A significant part of political assassinations are "initiatives of mad loners" and the arrest is justified, said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, commenting on the arrest of a Pole who, according to Ukrainian and Polish law enforcement officials, was preparing to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
He said this on April 17, returning from a two-day summit of the European Union, reported by the Polish portal Onet.
"Even if it is only a case of a madman, a significant part of political murders are initiatives of mad loners. We must be aware that it is precisely at this time that we need to focus on security issues," Tusk said.
As the prime minister noted, his Belgian and Czech colleagues made it clear that all European leaders have reason to fear Russian interference.
In Tusk's opinion, this is particularly important in the context of information about the arrest of a Pole who, according to law enforcement, was preparing to kill Zelenskyy.
The arrest of the man was "absolutely" justified, the head of government stressed.
On April 18, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Prosecutor General's Office reported the arrest of a Polish citizen who, according to the investigation, offered the Russian military intelligence (GRU) to carry out an assassination attempt on the Ukrainian leader.
In the SBU it was noted that the man planned to collect information about the security of the Rzeszów-Jasionka airport and pass it on to the Russians. This was to help the Russian special services plan a possible assassination attempt on Zelenskyy during his stay in Poland.
Ukrainian law enforcement officers informed their Polish counterparts about the possibility of an assassination attempt and handed over key evidence in the case, the Security Service said.
As a result, the man was identified and arrested on the territory of his country. Polish prosecutors charged him with willingness to act on behalf of a foreign intelligence service.
Investigations are underway to prove the man's guilt.
Representative of the HUR Andriy Yusov, in the air of the national telethon, commented on the assassination attempt, emphasizing that this is not the first time.
"The fact that the enemy once again tried to assassinate the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, the fact that attempts to organize assassinations against the military-political leadership of our state continue, in particular against General Budanov, means that Ukraine is resisting, and in particular the leaders of the country and Volodymyr Zelenskyy are a serious threat to the enemy," Yusov said.
He added that the world needs to understand who Ukraine is dealing with - "this is not a civilized opponent, this is not a civilized state, these are cunning terrorists."
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