Russia’s accusations of Ukraine’s possible use of a ‘dirty bomb’ fit a classic Moscow tactic: ‘blaming others for what they intend to do’, warns NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday.
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“Russia continues to falsely accuse Ukraine of making a dirty bomb. It’s absurd: why would Ukraine use a dirty bomb on its territories that it wants to liberate?” Mr. Stoltenberg told AFP-TV.
“Russia (…) must understand that we will not accept false pretexts for a new escalation in the war in Ukraine”, insisted the head of NATO during this interview carried out on the deck of the aircraft carrier American USS George HW Bush engaged in the “Neptune Strike 2022” exercise in the Mediterranean.
Russia has been accusing Ukraine for several days of preparing a “dirty bomb” made up of conventional explosives surrounded by radioactive materials intended to be disseminated during the explosion and of wanting to use it to then accuse Russia.
“We know that Russians often blame others for what they themselves intend to do. We saw it in Syria, we saw it at the beginning of this war in Ukraine”, underlined Mr. Stoltenberg.
“This aircraft carrier sends a powerful message from the Alliance: it keeps our sea lanes open, can respond to attacks and contributes to NATO’s heightened vigilance from the Baltic to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea,” he pointed out to the sailors and pilots of the USS George HW Bush.
The NATO boss also reaffirmed the Alliance’s support for Ukraine’s right to defend itself against the invading Russian forces and to retake their territory.
This conflict must end “sooner or later” at the negotiating table, but “the Allies will never negotiate or conclude an agreement on Ukraine without Ukraine”, he insisted.
“What Ukraine can get around the table depends on how strong they are on the battlefield. The only chance they have of surviving as an independent nation is if they are able to repel Russian forces in order to reach an acceptable political solution in negotiations,” he explained.
Asked about the new Italian government led by Giorgia Meloni, who, when she was in opposition, had accused the Alliance of seeking to “create a climate of cold war” with Russia, Jens Stoltenberg showed his confidence.
“I welcome his strong message on support for NATO, but also his strong message on the continuation of Italian support for Ukraine,” he continued.
“The message she and her government have sent is that they are committed to continuing to work together within NATO, and I look forward to meeting her and strengthening our cooperation,” he said. concluded.