(Washington) Activists, promptly escorted out of the room by members of the security personnel, briefly interrupted a conference by the head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, demanding the freedom of Julian Assange.
The Wikileaks founder, who has been imprisoned for four years in London, is awaiting the hearing of his appeal against the British government’s decision to extradite him to the United States.
“Easy,” Mr. Blinken said, addressing the security personnel.
In addition, the United States said on Wednesday that it was taking with “great caution” the statements of Russia, which claimed to have shot down two Ukrainian drones which targeted the Kremlin in Moscow.
“I saw the news. I can’t validate them, we don’t know,” Blinken said.
But, he added, “I would take anything that comes out of the Kremlin very cautiously.”
Russia said it considers “these actions an attempted terrorist act and an attempt on the life of President” Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine, for its part, claimed to have “nothing to do” with the alleged attack.
Mr. Blinken, who was speaking at a conference on freedom of the press organized by the Washington Post, again refused to comment further or “speculate” on this information because he did not know “the facts”. .
The US Secretary of State has also called again for the release of American journalist from the Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich, detained in Russia on espionage charges which he rejects.
He accused Moscow of “unfairly” detaining American citizens for the purpose of gaining leverage, which is “unacceptable” and only “further isolates Russia.”
He again noted that there are no longer “American journalists in Russia”.
Mr. Blinken finally reiterated his “regrets” for the disclosure of confidential US documents regarding Ukraine’s war against Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview published Tuesday by The Washington Post that he learned about the leak from the press, not Washington.
“I told him that we regret this unauthorized disclosure of these documents which we take very seriously,” Blinken said while declining to comment on the contents of the documents.
