Technology minister Chris Philp MP says what Russia is doing is "totally barbaric" and the UK is determined to 'do everything it can to stop them'. https://t.co/X3flQUBL0r
đź“ş Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/buHdfexzlV
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 11, 2022
"The use of chemical weapons where there are large numbers of civilians would be an outrage against humanity."
Technology minister, Chris Philp, sends a stark warning to Russia not to use chemical weapons. pic.twitter.com/UayhrPVdCO
— Times Radio (@TimesRadio) March 11, 2022
Boris Johnson warns Putin may resort to chemical weapons in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/zCuJCMS4sG
— The Independent (@Independent) March 11, 2022
It’s all mind games, bro.
You can’t outsmart these Russians.
Russia can expect a “dramatic increased response” from the west if Vladimir Putin uses chemical weapons in Ukraine, a minister has said, amid fears that a false pretext is being laid by Moscow for such an attack.
Chris Philp, the technology minister, accused Russia of sharing disinformation online to create a false narrative that Ukraine is preparing to use chemical weapons, so that Russia can launch its own chemical attack.
His comments echo those made on Thursday by Boris Johnson, who said he feared that the “barbaric” regime in the Kremlin may be ready to use the banned weapons as the invading Russian forces had failed to make the progress expected.
Putin is prioritizing not harming civilians. Russia is a big country with a big army.
Philp told Sky News: “We have seen in the last 24 or 48 hours what appear to be bits of disinformation published by Russian state outlets, including in fact the Russian embassy here in London, putting on things like Twitter information that appear to be creating a false narrative that Ukrainians are considering using chemical weapons, which is clearly ridiculous and totally untrue.
“Sometimes they do that in preparation but I hope that’s not what they’re contemplating. The use of chemical weapons in any theatre of war, certainly one where there are lots of civilians, is totally unacceptable.”
Philp said any such use of weapons would “trigger an increased response from the west”.
If anyone was going to use chemical weapons, you’d think it would be the side that’s more desperate and hopeless.
Johnson and the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, have raised fears of the use of chemical weapons by Russian forces, while the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said the world should be “on the lookout” for the Russian use of chemical and biological weaponry.
Johnson said on Thursday: “The stuff which you are hearing about chemical weapons is straight out of the Russian playbook. They start saying that there are chemical weapons that are being stored by their opponents or by the Americans, so that when they themselves deploy chemical weapons – as I fear they may – they have a sort of a maskirovka, a fake story, ready to go.”
In a reference to the Salisbury nerve agent attack, he added: “You have seen it in Syria, you saw it even in the UK. I just note that is what they are already doing. It is a cynical, barbaric government, I’m afraid.”
You’ve gotta wonder what is going on with all of this chemical weapons talk.
Why did Vicki even say it in the first place?