U.S. Secretary od State Antony Blinken<\/p>\n
The US has rejected as \u201ctransparently false\u201d Russia\u2019s evidence-free claim that Ukraine<\/a> is preparing to use a \u201cdirty bomb\u201d on its own territory as part of an escalation of Vladimir Putin\u2019s war.<\/p>\n Secretary of state Antony Blinken told<\/a> his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, on Sunday \u201cthe world would see through any attempt by Russia to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation\u201d, and vowed to continue supporting Kyiv for as long as necessary.<\/p>\n Earlier on Sunday, Kuleba denounced Moscow\u2019s claims as \u201cabsurd\u201d and \u201cdangerous\u201d, adding: \u201cRussians often accuse others of what they plan themselves\u201d.<\/p>\n Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy<\/a> reacted swiftly to Moscow\u2019s claims, calling for a united international response. \u201cIf Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this,\u201d Zelenskiy said in a video address on social media. \u201cI believe that now the world should react as harshly as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Zelenskiy said everyone \u201cunderstands who is the source of everything dirty that can be imagined in this war. It was Russia who blackmailed with the radiation disaster at the Zaporizhzhia NPP [nuclear power plant].\u201d<\/p>\n On Sunday, Russia\u2019s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, spoke to his British, French and Turkish counterparts and claimed in all three meetings that Ukraine may use a \u201cdirty bomb\u201d, a conventional weapon containing radioactive material. Shoigu also spoke to Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, but Moscow did not mention the dirty bomb allegations in its statement summarising that call.<\/p>\n The Russian minister cited no evidence for this claim as he warned of \u201cpossible provocations\u201d on the part of Kyiv.<\/p>\n There is no evidence that Ukraine, which gave up its nuclear weapons in the 1990s, has any radioactive material in its military arsenal.<\/p>\n Continues \u2026<\/a><\/p>\nComment \u2013 Oct 24, 2022<\/strong><\/h1>\n