Russia wants UN meeting over ‘US biological activities’ in Ukraine

Russia has called for a UN Security Council meeting to discuss what it claims are “the military biological activities of the US on the territory of Ukraine.”

The Russian request, announced in a tweet Thursday afternoon from its deputy UN ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, follows the Biden administration’s rejection of Russian accusations that Ukraine is running chemical and biological labs with US support.

In response to this week’s accusations by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova — without evidence — White House press secretary Jen Psaki issued a public warning Wednesday that Russia might seek to use chemical or biological weapons against Ukraine, the neighbor it has invaded.

Now, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accuses Russians in a tweet of “manic obsession” and “fantasiz[ing] about non-existent biological or chemical weapons or hazards in Ukraine,” echoing Psaki’s concerns of a false flag operation.

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. This tweet is for the record.

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 10, 2022

Psaki had called Russia’s claim “preposterous” and tweeted: “This is all an obvious ploy by Russia to try to justify its further premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine.”

Polyansky says Russia has asked for the Security Council to meet on Friday. It is not immediately clear when or whether a council meeting would take place.