MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. The UK statement on supplies of depleted uranium shells to Ukraine was aimed at throwing a wrench into the agenda of talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday during a Solovyov live TV broadcast.
"They (the British - TASS) cannot understand that it is impossible to interrupt the constructive and creative agenda with any propaganda or manipulation of the mainstream. <...> No PR campaigns, no anti-ads and no hysterics will be able to kill it," she said, adding that China-Russia cooperation set the "right tone for international relations."
Zakharova stressed that the UK statements about supplies of depleted uranium shells to the Ukrainian armed forces "against the background of so many signed documents, as well as statements made about stability, peace and the contribution of our countries (Russia and China - TASS)" only served to harm London itself. "Making statements focused on a destructive agenda <...> is a demonstration of complete helplessness," the diplomat pointed out.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called depleted uranium "the scariest thing" and its possible use in the conflict zone "monstrous."
British Parliamentary Secretary of State Baroness Annabel Goldie said in a written response to a question by a member of the House of Lords on Monday that the United Kingdom would supply Ukraine with shells containing depleted uranium and which are more effective in destroying armored vehicles.
Commenting on the decision of the British authorities, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia would be forced to respond accordingly to the fact that "the West is already starting to use weapons with a nuclear component." The Russian embassy in the UK warned London against transferring depleted uranium ammunition to Kiev. The diplomatic mission's commentary stressed that the move was fraught with an escalation of the conflict, while the use of such munitions in Ukraine would affect the health of the local population.
Talks in Kremlin
Chinese President Xi Jinping was on a state visit in Russia from March 20 to 22. On Monday, he had a tete-a-tete informal meeting with Putin, which lasted for 4.5 hours. On Tuesday, the Chinese leader met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and then arrived in the Kremlin for official talks with Putin. The leaders signed two joint statements after the talks. They both pointed out that the talks were successful.