World News | UN Security Council to Discuss Russia Claim

United Nations, Mar 11 (AP) The UN Security Council will meet on Friday to discuss what Russia claims are "the military biological activities of the U.S. on the territory of Ukraine."

Council diplomats confirmed the meeting scheduled for 10 am EST, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of an official announcement.

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Russia requested the meeting in a tweet Thursday afternoon from its first deputy UN ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky.

The request came after the Biden administration rejected the accusation, made without evidence by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, that Ukraine was running chemical and biological labs with U.S. support.

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White House press secretary Jen Psaki Psaki called Russia's claim "preposterous." On Wednesday, warned that Russia might seek to use chemical or biological weapons against Ukraine, the neighbour it has invaded.

"This is all an obvious ploy by Russia to try to justify its further premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine," Psaki tweeted.

But Dmitry Chumakov, another Russian deputy UN ambassador, repeated the accusation Wednesday, urging Western media to cover "the news about secret biological laboratories in Ukraine." (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)