US, allies accuse Russia of using UN Security Council to ‘launder’ disinformation on Ukraine

The US and its allies on Friday accused Russia of utilizing the U.N. Safety Council to try to “launder” disinformation and conspiracy theories as Moscow’s consultant accused the U.S. of partaking in organic weapons tasks in Ukraine.

“This morning, Russia is as soon as once more trying to make use of this Council to launder its disinformation, unfold its propaganda, and justify its unprovoked and brutal assault on Ukraine,” a joint assertion by the U.S., Albania, France, Eire, Norway and the UK mentioned. “We all know this as a result of it’s a well-worn playbook. Only one week in the past, they convened the Council underneath exactly the identical pretenses, and we heard a litany of bombastic and preposterous lies.”

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The assertion mentioned that the claims are “designed for one function: to deflect duty for Russia’s conflict of alternative and the humanitarian disaster it has precipitated.”

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the U.S. of serving to the Ukrainian ministry of protection to create parts for the organic weapons to the tune of $32 million funded by the Pentagon.

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“There’s increasingly more proof that on the heart of Japanese Europe proper till the final minute there was a harmful army and organic exercise being carried out, the implications of which at any time may unfold past the nation and even into the area,” he mentioned. “The dimensions of casualties, together with among the many inhabitants of European international locations is tough to think about — coronavirus could be nothing in contrast with this.”

Nebenzia’s claims have been dismissed first by Izumi Nakamitsu, the U.N.’s excessive consultant for disarmament affairs, who advised the Council that the U.N. “shouldn’t be conscious of any such organic weapons applications.”  

She additionally highlighted the demise toll because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which the U.N. Human Rights Workplace says stands at 780 useless, together with 58 youngsters. There have been 2,032 casualties recorded up to now, however Nakamitsu mentioned the precise quantity is believed to be a lot larger.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused Nebenzia of repeating “issues that sound like they have been forwarded him in a series e-mail on a darkish nook of the web.”

“President Biden has a phrase for this sort of speak — malarkey,” she mentioned.

She mentioned that Ukraine has “public well being services proudly supported and acknowledged by the U.S. authorities, the World Well being Group and different governments and worldwide establishments.” She famous that Russia has a sample of accusing different international locations of doing what it itself is planning on doing and Russia’s personal historical past of utilizing chemical weapons towards political opponents.

“We proceed to imagine that it’s potential that Russia could also be planning on utilizing chemical or organic brokers towards the Ukrainian individuals,” she mentioned. “We’re not going to dignify Russia’s disinformation or conspiracy idea, however we are going to proceed to sound the alarm and inform the world the place we predict Russia is heading.”

Allies have been equally unimpressed by the Russian presentation.

“What are we speaking about right here?” Albania’s consultant mentioned. “Non-existent chemical weapons applications in Ukraine developed in non-existent laboratories and financed by non-existent applications. Russian claims…stay unverified, unsubstantiated, uncorroborated and never independently verified. In a phrase — not credible.”

The U.Okay. was equally blunt, calling the Russian claims “nonsense.”

“Right now’s charade is admittedly unfit of a everlasting member of the UN Safety Council. The one factor this Council wants to listen to from the Russian Federation…is that Russian troops are leaving Ukraine,” Ambassador Barbara Woodward mentioned.

Fox Information’ Ben Evansky contributed to this report.