US, its allies accuse Russia of spreading ‘conspiracy theories’
Russia ‘wasting’ UN Security Council’s time with ‘nonsense’ about ‘bio-labs in Ukraine’ (Photo:REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)
The United States and its allies have accused Russia of wasting the time of the UN Security Council and spreading “conspiracy theories,” by again pushing wild claims about dirty bombs, chemical weapons, and offensive biological research in Ukraine.
“How much more of this nonsense do we have to endure?” Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations Barbara Woodward said at the Security Council briefing on Oct. 27, the Voice of America’s Russian service reported on Oct. 28.
Russia has raised the issue of some “U.S. programs for the development of biological weapons in Ukraine” at least twice previously at the Security Council, even though Washington and Kyiv have repeatedly denied these claims.
Currently, Russia is insisting on there being an official investigation, while refusing to allow UN investigations into its own activities in Ukraine, including the use of Iranian suicide drones on Ukrainian cities.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Russia’s latest claims “pure fabrications, brought forth without a shred of evidence.”
UN representatives dealing with weapons issues have long stated they know nothing about any biological weapons development programs in Ukraine.
“There are no Ukrainian biological weapons laboratories supported by the United States,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
According to Thomas-Greenfield, Ukraine does own and operate a public health laboratory infrastructure, as do many countries that seek to guard themselves from infectious diseases.
“So, while I believe this meeting is a colossal waste of time – and we should decide just how much of our time we allow Russia to waste – I am glad this Council has the chance to see Russia’s disinformation campaign for what it is: an attempt to distract from the atrocities Russian forces are carrying out in Ukraine, and a desperate tactic to justify an unjustifiable war,” the U.S. official said.
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