Russia's allegations that Ukraine has allegedly been developing banned biological weapons are false and unsubstantiated. This statement was made today during a meeting of the UN Security Council by the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations, Barbara Woodward.
"Russia has brought into the Security Council a series of wild, completely baseless, and irresponsible conspiracy theories. Let me put it diplomatically: they are utter nonsense. There is no shred of credible evidence that Ukraine has a biological weapons program," Woodward said.
Woodward noted that Ukraine is a State Party to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and duly fulfills its obligations.
"The research facilities are facilities set up to deal with public health hazards. The UN briefers today have confirmed this. Russia's accusations about allegedly developing biological weapons are yet another lie in Russia's disinformation campaign," the diplomat said.
She added that the UN Security Council "does not meet to serve as an audience for Russian domestic propaganda. We should not allow Russia to abuse its permanent seat to spread disinformation and lies and pervert the purpose of the Security Council," Woodward said.
US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the United States was seriously concerned about Russian forces using chemical/bacteriological weapons in Ukraine to conduct "false-flag" operations or support tactical combat operations on Ukrainian territory.
Today's meeting of the UN Security Council was convened at the initiative of Russia to consider "US military and biological activities in Ukraine." The day before, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that biological weapons created in Ukraine with the United States' support are "ethnically oriented."