NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday expressed the Alliance's concern that Russia might orchestrate a false operation involving the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, which he has previously accused of harboring such weapons.
“We are concerned that Moscow may mount a false flag operation that possibly includes chemical weapons,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference prior to Wednesday's meeting of allied defense ministers, while alerting Moscow's “absurd allegations” about “biochemical laboratories and chemical weapons in Ukraine”.
“That's just another lie,” he said.
THE DISCOVERY OF EVIDENCE
Ukrainian forces confiscated gas marks from Russian troops captured on their territory following warnings from the West that Vladimir Putin could use chemical weapons in his invasion of the European country.
The Ministry of Defense shared images of the captured equipment, which also included World War II era helmets and a ushanka hat, showing the deteriorating state of Putin's army.
The ministry said on Twitter: “The second army in the world is a sham. Team of “liberators”. Do you want us to live like this?”
Western and Ukrainian leaders have issued serious warnings that Putin is preparing to use chemical weapons, and masks handed over to Russian troops suggest that an attack is likely.
For their part, Boris Johnson and former MI6 chief of Russian operations, Christopher Steele, echoed Zelensky's concerns that Russia could soon deploy chemical weapons amid slow progress on the ground.
The prime minister said that Putin is in charge of a “cynical and barbaric government” and believes that Russia is preparing a “false story” that he could use to deny the use of weapons and blame the West.
(with information from EFE)
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