The US administration warns that Russia may be planning to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine. By spreading false information about biological laboratories in Ukraine, where the Pentagon allegedly developed biological weapons, Moscow wants to pave the way for the further escalation of an unjustified war of aggression in Ukraine, US Presidential Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday, March 9. Russia follows a clear pattern of behavior – either preparing to use weapons of mass destruction itself or staging a Ukrainian attack in order to create a justification for continuing the war, Psaki wrote on Twitter.
Moscow has used chemical weapons more than once
Psaki explained that Russia, in turn, has repeatedly used chemical weapons – for example, in attacks on political opponents of President Vladimir Putin, in particular Alexei Navalny. In addition, according to her, Moscow supports the Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, whose regime “repeatedly used chemical weapons.” According to the press secretary of the head of the White House, this is a typical technique used by Russia: it accuses the West of violations that it commits. Jen Psaki also accused Chinese officials of broadcasting Russian conspiracy theories.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price on the same day called the Russian disinformation “complete nonsense.” According to him, the United States does not have laboratories for the production of biological or chemical weapons in Ukraine and fully complies with international treaties on chemical and biological weapons.
UN knows nothing about Ukraine’s banned weapons
The United Nations has previously stated that it has no knowledge of weapons of mass destruction allegedly produced in Ukraine. According to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, the World Health Organization “is not aware of any actions by the Ukrainian government that are contrary to its international treaty obligations relating, in particular, to chemical or biological weapons.”
The day before, US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland warned that Russian troops could gain control of “biological research facilities” in Ukraine. The US government is “working with the Ukrainians on how to prevent these research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces as they approach,” she told a March 8 US Senate hearing.
Senator Marco Rubio pointed to Russian propaganda reports that Ukrainians want to use biological weapons with the help of NATO. Asked by Rubio if a biological or chemical attack had taken place on Ukrainian soil if the Russians would have been behind it, Nuland said: “I have no doubt Senator. plan to do it themselves.”
Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that in Ukraine there is a network of biolaboratories working within the framework of joint programs with the Pentagon. However, international fact-checkers have long debunked this claim, AFP notes.
See also:
