Scholz on “Dirty Bomb”: Accusations against Kyiv Are Groundless

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In a conversation with Zelensky, Scholz dismissed as groundless the Russian accusations that Ukraine was allegedly preparing to use a “dirty bomb”. The IAEA inspection will remove any doubts in this regard, the FRG chancellor pointed out. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz firmly rejected as groundless the Russian accusations that Ukraine is allegedly preparing to use a so-called “dirty bomb”. Scholz made a statement to this effect during a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A media report on the results of the conversation was released Monday, October 31, by Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesman for the German government. “The chancellor agreed with the president of Ukraine that an independent investigation by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), initiated by the Ukrainian side, would remove any doubt about this,” the statement stressed. In addition, the head of the German government condemned the continued targeting of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine by Russian troops. Berlin will continue to support Kyiv with arms supplies Politicians urged not to jeopardize the implementation and extension of the “grain deal” under the auspices of the UN, so as not to worsen the food situation in the world, the statement further said. The German chancellor emphasized that the FRG will not refuse “substantive support for Ukraine in political, financial and humanitarian terms,” as well as in the issue of protection of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, including by supplying weapons, Hebestreit said. The sides exchanged views on the military, political and humanitarian situation in Ukraine, as well as on the possibilities of further assistance to Kyiv, in particular in the field of reconstruction. IAEA to submit preliminary report by the end of the week Following accusations by Russia that Kyiv is preparing to use a “dirty bomb”, inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency started inspecting two nuclear facilities in Ukraine at the request of the Ukrainian government on 31 October. According to Rafael Grossi, the agency’s director general, a preliminary report on the inspection will be made public by the end of this week. Earlier, on Oct. 25, the German chancellor in Berlin, at an international conference, called for a new Marshall Plan to rebuild Ukraine. “Commitment to Ukraine as a member of the European Union is one of the most consistent geopolitical decisions of our time,” Scholz stressed. DW