Sharjah24 - AFP: Russian assertions that Ukraine is planning to use a dirty bomb were jointly refuted by the United States, Britain, and France on Sunday. They also issued a warning to Moscow cautioning them not to use any excuse for escalating the conflict.
In a series of phone calls with Western defense chiefs earlier on Sunday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the claim about a potential dirty bomb assault.
In a joint statement with the governments of Britain and France, the US State Department claimed that "we countries made clear that we firmly reject Russia's plainly baseless assertions that Ukraine is prepared to use a dirty bomb on its own territory."
The statement continued, "Any attempt to use this claim as a pretext for escalation will be seen through by the world." "We further reject any justification for a Russian escalation."
A "dirty bomb" is one that is intended to pollute a large region with radioactive material, endangering bystanders. There is no nuclear explosion in it.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, vehemently refuted Moscow's assertions, calling them a Russian plot for a similar strike in Moscow's eight-month conflict against its pro-Western neighbor. He said, "The world should respond as strongly as possible."
In a video message posted on social media, Zelensky stated, "If Russia calls and claims that Ukraine is purportedly preparing anything, it implies one thing: Russia has already planned all this."
In Zelensky's words, "Even the very Russian threat of nuclear weapons—and even more so against our country, which has given up its nuclear arsenal—is a basis for both sanctions and for even greater strengthening of support for Ukraine.
After first speaking with Austin on Friday, Shoigu held a series of telephone meetings with counterparts from Turkey, Britain, and France—all NATO members.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, during the calls, Shoigu expressed "concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a 'dirty bomb,'"
In what the Pentagon described as a follow-up call to their conversation on Friday, Shoigu and Austin spoke on Sunday.
Following the speech, Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said that Secretary Austin "rejected any justification for Russian escalation and reiterated the necessity of ongoing communication throughout Russia's illegitimate and unjustified conflict against Ukraine."
Only two calls had been made between Shoigu and Austin since Moscow sent troops to Ukraine on February 24.
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