Depleted Uranium Doesn't Distinguish Between Ukrainians & Russians, It Poisons Everyone: Journalist

Last week, UK Minister of State for Defense Annabel Goldie stated that Britain would provide depleted uranium (DU) ammunition with their Challenger 2 MBT tank delivery to Ukraine. Chris Helali told Sputnik that these byproducts of the nuclear industry "poison the land and poison the people."

"It's very disheartening, to say the least, to see these types of deployments and to see these types of weapons used in a conflict that only is going to affect the people who live there. It's not going to affect any of the war profiteers, the big business enterprises and entrepreneurs and the politicians and military leaders in the West. It is going to affect poor people on their poor farmlands and in their poor villages who are going to have the long term ramifications of these types of weapons," Helali pointed out, asking for attention to be paid to the fate of the common people.

Chris Helali noted that the DU shells used by the US military have caused hundreds of thousands of cases of various diseases, such as birth defects and cancer, along with poisoning the soil and thus agriculture.

"A depleted uranium or plutonium shell or whatever radioactive element they're using doesn't distinguish between Ukrainian and Russian, doesn't distinguish between friend and foe. It poisons everyone," he concluded.

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The US military industry produces tons of depleted uranium for use in their MBT and IFV munitions. Such shells are heavier and thus have better penetration capabilities, but uranium is toxic, affecting the local population where such munitions are used.

The journalist said that Russia seeks peace and that it is Western governments who are continuously fueling the conflict with arms supplies.

"We know that Russia has been very receptive to peace, but the West is not interested, and that's very dangerous. And the more we bring in the nuclear card into this, the more it's just a matter of time before something goes awry and many poor people will be affected. And it's something that none of us want to see," Chris Helali warned.

At the same time, the journalist drew attention to a peace protest against US militarism and the sanctions policy held in Washington on March 18. The protest was organized by a coalition of anti-war groups, with participants calling for an end to US military interventions and sanctions that have harmed people in other countries. In particular, demonstrators demanded an end to prolonging the Ukraine conflict by sending lethal military equipment.

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The protest drew a large crowd and included a march to the White House, calling for a change in US foreign policy. The organizers emphasized the need for a more peaceful and cooperative approach to global relations, rather than the use of military force and economic coercion. Commenting on the protests, Helali called the US' actions a "proxy war" and added that "the ruling class is going to continue on with this war as long as possible."

"Throughout the US, there were big demonstrations calling for peace, calling for an end to this proxy war. There have been demonstrations throughout Germany, France, Italy and elsewhere throughout Europe as well. And what you're seeing is that the ruling class is going to continue on with this war as long as possible," the journalist explained.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced plans to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus in response to the UK's decision to supply the Kiev regime with DU shells. While Western countries lambasted the announcement, the Russian president pointed out that the United States has long stationed tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of its allies and NATO countries such as Germany, France, Italy, and Turkiye.

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Helali noted that "if there was no war going on, it might have been seen simply as sort of a movement on a chessboard," pointing out that the perception of such a move completely changes because of the inflamed tensions, as there were proposals to deploy nuclear weapons in Poland in 2022. "Russia sees this as a proportional response, saying if the US moves into Poland, it's necessary for Russia to move these tactical nuclear weapons onto Belarus' soil."