Moscow: According to the Russian defence ministry on Tuesday, the United States intends to provoke Ukraine using toxic chemicals. According to the ministry's citation of John Sullivan, a former US ambassador to Russia, "Russian troops plan to use chemical weapons in the special military operation area."

Igor Kirillov, commander of the radiation, chemical, and biological defence troops of the Russian armed forces, stated during a briefing that he believed this information indicated that the United States and their allies intended to carry out a provocation in Ukraine using toxic chemicals.

He promised that Russia "will find and punish the real offenders."

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While visiting the frontline town of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian defenders were holding out against ongoing attacks, Kyiv's top general issued a dire warning to China that providing weapons to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine would have serious consequences.

Beijing is reportedly considering providing lethal equipment, possibly including drones, for Moscow's war, and Washington and its NATO allies are frantically trying to dissuade Beijing from doing so.

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Fears in the West about China arming Russia come as Kyiv gears up for a counteroffensive with cutting-edge Western weapons, including battle tanks, and Moscow's forces struggle to advance near strategic targets in eastern Ukraine.

Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser for the White House, said on CNN's "State of the Union" programme that Beijing will have to decide for itself how to proceed and whether to offer military assistance, but if it does, China will pay a price.

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In a separate interview with ABC's "This Week," Sullivan stated that while China had not advanced with providing that aid, it had also not ruled out the possibility.

Beijing has consistently refused to denounce Moscow's attack on Ukraine, most recently on Saturday during a G20 summit in India. On Friday, the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it published a cease-fire proposal, but the offer was met with scepticism among Ukraine's Western allies.