U.S. Accuses Russia Of Spreading 'Absurd' Lies To Distract From Ukraine Atrocities

The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. on Thursday accused Russia of using the United Nations to spread an “absurd” conspiracy theory to distract from its war crimes in Ukraine.

Russia called a meeting of the U.N. Security Council with a previously debunked claim that the U.S. is sponsoring Ukraine labs developing illegal “military biological” warfare, according to The Associated Press.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield declared the meeting “a colossal waste of time.”

“I am glad this council has the chance to see Russia’s disinformation campaign for what it is — an attempt to distract from the atrocities Russian forces are carrying out in Ukraine and a desperate tactic to justify an unjustifiable war,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

Russia’s assertions have been disputed by both Ukrainian and U.S. officials, as well as by independent scientists. Russia has been advocating for a Security Council investigation into its allegations.

“Ukraine does not have a biological weapons program,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “The United States does not have a biological weapons program. There are no Ukrainian biological weapons laboratories supported by the United States.”

Ukraine does operate  biological labs and some have received U.S. funding under a program to lessen the possibility of deadly outbreaks, according to AP. Their activity is neither illegal nor secret, and the U.S. plays no part in operating them.

Thomas-Greenfield added Ukraine has no incentive to use deadly pathogens because of the risk to itself. 

“Such species, even if they could be weaponized, would pose as much a threat to the European continent and to Ukraine itself as they would to any other country,” she said.

Barbara Woodward, the U.K. ambassador to the U.N., supported Thomas-Greenfield, referencing Russia’s false claim that Ukraine was preparing to detonate a “dirty bomb,” to spread radiological waste. 

“How much more of this nonsense do we have to endure?” Woodward asked.

U.S., U.K. and French officials have warned that Russia may be using the false dirty bomb allegation as an excuse to intensify the conflict, according to The New York Times .

President Joe Biden has dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim this week that he won’t use nuclear weapons  in Ukraine.

“If he has no intention, why does he keep talking about it?” Biden asked during an interview with NewsNation. “He’s been very dangerous in how he’s approached this.”