https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/u-n-council-to-meet-at-moscow-s-request-over-claim-of-u-s-biolabs-as-zelensky-dismisses-chemical-weapons-allegation/ar-AAUVH5R?ocid=msedgntp
The Washington Post
U.N. council to meet at Moscow’s request over U.S. biolabs claim, as Zelensky dismisses chemical weapons allegation
Adela Suliman - 1h ago
The U.N. Security Council will meet Friday at Russia’s request to discuss Moscow’s claims of U.S.-supported chemical and biological weapon labs in Ukraine — allegations both Washington and Kyiv vehemently deny.
Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s first deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, announced the request for a Security Council meeting in a tweet late Thursday.
“Russian Mission asked for a meeting of #Security Council for 11 March to discuss the military biological activities of the US on the territory of #Ukraine,” Polyanskiy said.
The allegation of U.S. “biological activities” in Ukraine, presented without evidence, has been dismissed by the Biden administration as Russian disinformation.
“This is exactly the kind of false flag effort we have warned Russia might initiate to justify a biological or chemical weapons attack,” Olivia Dalton, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, said late Thursday, according to the Associated Press. “We’re not going to let Russia gaslight the world or use the U.N. Security Council as a venue for promoting their disinformation.”
White House warns Russia could use chemical weapons in Ukraine, rejects false ‘conspiracy’ of U.S. biolabs
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also denied the Russian accusations in a video address to his war-torn nation, posted Thursday on Facebook.
“No chemical or any other weapons of mass destruction were developed on my land. The whole world knows that,” he said.
“They accuse us … that we are allegedly developing biological weapons, allegedly we are preparing a chemical attack. This makes me really worried,” he added, noting that he is the father of two children.
“It is they who are capable of this,” he said, referring to Russia. “They have already done such things in other countries … and they will do so again,” he added. “Using ammonia? Using phosphorus? What else have you prepared for us?”
Zelensky said laboratories in Ukraine were “engaged in ordinary science … not military technology.” He also warned that if Russia does deploy such chemical weapons, it should prepare for the “most severe sanctions response.”
“We’ve been repeatedly convinced, if you want to know Russia’s plans, look at what Russia accuses others of,” he added.
developed.”
How the right embraced Russian disinformation about ‘U.S. bioweapons labs’ in Ukraine
The U.S. has also hit back at Beijing for echoing Moscow’s “conspiracy theories.”
“This Russian military operation has uncovered the secret of the U.S. labs in Ukraine, and this is not something that can be dealt with in a perfunctory manner,” China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Thursday, according to the Associated Press, repeating similar claims he made earlier this week.
“It is not something they can muddle through by saying that China’s statement and Russia’s finding are disinformation, and are absurd and ridiculous.”
While China claims it has not taken sides in the conflict — neither denouncing the Russian invasion nor overtly endorsing it — state media and Chinese foreign ministry officials regularly echo Russian propaganda and the Russian biolab theory has quickly spread online, racking up millions of views on the social media platform, Weibo.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted Thursday: “The manic obsession with which various Russian officials fantasize about non-existent biological or chemical weapons or hazards in Ukraine is deeply troubling and may actually point at Russia preparing another horrific false flag operation.”