
Russia escalates false chemical weapons claims about US, Ukraine by bringing them to UN
ABC News
Russia's comments sparked fear it may use the banned weapons against Ukraine.
Russia is doubling down on its false claims that the U.S. and Ukraine are developing chemical or biological weapons for use against invading Russian forces, bringing the accusation to the United Nations Security Council on Friday.
A web of disinformation, not only from Russian state media but also Chinese propaganda outlets and even some American voices, have increasingly spread the conspiracy theory this week.
That's prompted heightened concern among U.S. and Ukrainian officials that Russia itself may be planning to deploy chemical or biological weapons against Ukrainian targets or as part of a so-called "false flag" operation.
"This makes me really worried because we've been repeatedly convinced if you want to know Russia's plans, look at what Russia accuses others of," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a televised address late Thursday, a sentiment the White House first shared Wednesday.