<\/p>\n
Speaking at\u00a0Russia\u2019s annual Valdai Discussion Club Forum in\u00a0Sochi on\u00a0Thursday, Vladimir Putin joked<\/a> about the E.U.\u2019s suspicions that Moscow is\u00a0behind the recent uptick in\u00a0unidentified drone sightings in\u00a0the bloc. \u201cI\u00a0won\u2019t send any more [drones],\u201d the Russian president said. \u201cNot to\u00a0France, not to\u00a0Denmark, and not to\u00a0Copenhagen.\u201d<\/p>\n Putin framed the accusations as\u00a0absurd, but he\u2019s been known to\u00a0brush off serious allegations only to\u00a0reverse course later. A\u00a0decade ago, he\u00a0dismissed claims that Russian troops were involved in\u00a0the seizure of\u00a0Crimea, but he\u00a0later acknowledged and even celebrated the operation. Meduza revisits how Putin\u2019s denials shifted over time (using quotes originally collected<\/a> by\u00a0Current Time),\u00a0and looks at\u00a0the latest security incidents in\u00a0Europe that Western officials have linked to\u00a0Russia.<\/p>\n 2014\u20132018: Putin denies, then slowly admits<\/a>, the \u2018little green men\u2019 in\u00a0Crimea were Russian soldiers\u2193<\/strong><\/p>\n Asked by\u00a0journalists why the \u201clittle green men\u201d in\u00a0Crimea look so\u00a0much like Russian soldiers, Putin responds:<\/p>\n Look at\u00a0the post-Soviet space. It\u2019s full of\u00a0uniforms that look like ours. Walk into a\u00a0store right now, and you can buy any uniform you want. [\u2026] Those men were local self-defense forces.<\/p>\n \u2193<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOur troops were there backing\u00a0the Crimean self-defense forces, of\u00a0course,\u201d Putin says on\u00a0his annual call-in show Direct Line with Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n The little green men A\u00a0look at\u00a0the people behind the annexation of\u00a0Crimea. A\u00a0photo series by\u00a0Sergey Ponomarev<\/a>The little green men A\u00a0look at\u00a0the people behind the annexation of\u00a0Crimea. A\u00a0photo series by\u00a0Sergey Ponomarev<\/a>\u2193<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI\u00a0don\u2019t hide it, of\u00a0course \u2014\u00a0it\u2019s a\u00a0fact, and we\u2019ve never tried to\u00a0hide\u00a0it. Our armed forces, frankly, blocked the Ukrainian troops stationed in\u00a0Crimea,\u201d Putin says in\u00a0an\u00a0interview with German TV\u00a0channel ADR.<\/p>\n \u2193<\/strong><\/p>\n In\u00a0an\u00a0interview for the propaganda documentary Crimea: The Way Home, Putin says:<\/p>\n All of\u00a0my\u00a0instructions were about acting carefully and relying on\u00a0those people whom we\u00a0can already call patriots of\u00a0Russia today, building on\u00a0them and their networks. But at\u00a0the same time, supporting them and standing behind them with much greater forces and resources.<\/p>\n \u2193<\/strong><\/p>\n In\u00a0an\u00a0interview with the Austrian TV\u00a0channel ORF, Putin says:<\/p>\n The Russian army was always there. I\u00a0want you to\u00a0understand this \u2014\u00a0not just to\u00a0repeat it\u00a0mechanically, but to\u00a0really grasp what was happening there. The Russian army was always in\u00a0Crimea. Our military contingent was there; our servicemen were always present. I\u00a0said it\u00a0myself: Our troops were there, but they weren\u2019t taking part in\u00a0anything.<\/p>\n But when the spiral of\u00a0unconstitutional actions in\u00a0Ukraine started to\u00a0unfold, when people in\u00a0Crimea began to\u00a0feel threatened, when nationalists were sent there by\u00a0train, and buses and road transport were being blocked, people wanted to\u00a0defend themselves. At\u00a0that moment, our armed forces \u2014 without even exceeding the numbers allowed under the agreement on\u00a0our base \u2014\u00a0ensured that independent, free elections could take place, allowing the people living in\u00a0Crimea to\u00a0express their will.<\/p>\n Fast forward to\u00a0today: The Kremlin laughs off Europe\u2019s allegations of\u00a0drone incursions\u2193<\/strong><\/p>\n Asked about reports<\/a> by\u00a0Western officials that Russian drones have been flying over routes used to\u00a0transport U.S. weapons in\u00a0Germany, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responds:<\/p>\n No, we\u00a0haven\u2019t had a\u00a0chance to\u00a0see those reports, but it\u2019s hard to\u00a0imagine, because if\u00a0that were happening, the Germans would have noticed.\u00a0It\u2019s unlikely they would have stayed silent. It\u00a0looks more like fake news.<\/p>\n \u2193<\/strong><\/p>\n At\u00a0Russia\u2019s annual Valdai Discussion Club Forum, moderator Fyodor Lukyanov asks Putin, \u201cWhy have you been sending so\u00a0many drones to\u00a0Denmark?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u00a0won\u2019t send any more,\u201d the president responds. \u201cNot to\u00a0France, not to\u00a0Denmark, and not to\u00a0Copenhagen.<\/p>\n European \u2018hysteria,\u2019 Trump\u2019s \u2018paper tigers\u2019 comment, and MAGA values Putin\u2019s messages for the West at\u00a0this year\u2019s Valdai Discussion Club Forum<\/a>European \u2018hysteria,\u2019 Trump\u2019s \u2018paper tigers\u2019 comment, and MAGA values Putin\u2019s messages for the West at\u00a0this year\u2019s Valdai Discussion Club Forum<\/a>Meanwhile, the drone sightings keep coming \u2014 and Europe scrambles to\u00a0respond\u2193<\/strong><\/p>\n The Danish media outlet TV2 News reports<\/a> that the country\u2019s military has issued an\u00a0emergency call-up of\u00a0reservists in\u00a0response to\u00a0recent drone sightings. (This has not been independently confirmed by\u00a0Meduza or\u00a0other outlets.)<\/p>\n \u2193<\/strong><\/p>\n European leaders meet in\u00a0Copenhagen<\/a> to\u00a0discuss plans for a\u00a0\u201cdrone wall\u201d along the E.U.\u2019s eastern borders amid the surge in\u00a0incidents. \u201cThere is\u00a0only one country that is\u00a0willing to\u00a0threaten us, and it\u00a0is\u00a0Russia,\u201d Danish President Mette Frederiksen reportedly said<\/a> at\u00a0the meeting.<\/p>\n British warfare expert Robert Tollast told NBC News that the \u201cwall\u201d might look like a\u00a0network<\/a> of\u00a0radars and sensors linked to\u00a0mobile air-defense teams and batteries using rapid cannon fire. Denmark bans all civilian drone flights during the week to\u00a0ensure the summit\u2019s security.<\/p>\n \u2193<\/strong><\/p>\n Citing Poland\u2019s Internal Security Agency, the newspaper Wyborcza reports<\/a> on\u00a0an\u00a0alleged scheme by\u00a0Russian military intelligence to\u00a0hide explosives in\u00a0cans of\u00a0corn and use them to\u00a0carry out attacks in\u00a0Poland. According to\u00a0the paper, Polish security services found a\u00a0cache of\u00a0such cans in\u00a0a\u00a0cemetery in\u00a0Lithuania along with mounts that matched the cans\u2019 dimensions. It\u00a0also reports that a\u00a027-year-old was arrested on\u00a0suspicion of\u00a0transporting explosives and drones between Lithuania, Poland, and Germany on\u00a0instructions from a\u00a0contact he\u00a0spoke to\u00a0via Telegram.<\/p>\n Poland\u2019s unwanted visitors How Russia\u2019s cheapest military drones triggered an\u00a0international crisis in\u00a0NATO airspace<\/a>\u2193<\/strong><\/p>\n Several drones are spotted<\/a> near Munich Airport, prompting the cancellation of\u00a0dozens of\u00a0flights. In\u00a0response, Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder calls for<\/a> legal changes allowing the army and police to\u00a0shoot down drones.<\/p>\n