White House: Russia Could Use Chemical Weapons

The White House says Russia could use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine. That claim comes from White House spokesman Jen Psaki in response to an accusation from Russian authorities.

Russia accuses the US of supporting a “military biological program” in Ukraine with deadly pathogens, including plague and anthrax.

According to Psaki, this is “a false statement” by Russia that could possibly be used as a pretext to use chemical weapons itself in Ukraine. She also warns that the Russians could use chemical weapons “under a false flag” and then blame another country.

In a series of tweets, the spokesperson wrote that the Russian claims are “ridiculous” but that Chinese officials are also repeating “Russian conspiracy theories”.

Ned Price, a spokesman for the US State Department, also says that “the Kremlin is deliberately spreading outright lies”. He said “Russian disinformation” about US support for biological weapons in Ukraine is “absolute nonsense”. He added that Russia is “known for accusing the West of crimes it commits itself.”