Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the statement of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu about the US PMCs, which allegedly prepare "provocations with chemical weapons in the Donbas" is not true. This is reported by the UNN with reference to the Pentagon.

"These statements about "provocation with chemical weapons in Donbas" Minister Shoigu are quite false," Kirby said.

He noted that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has not spoken to Shoigu amid the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.

State Department press chief Ned Price said on Twitter that contrary to the Russian defense secretary's statements, Russia and its proxies are responsible for the escalation, not Ukraine or the United States.

"We call on Russia to stop using false rhetoric and take meaningful steps to de-escalate tensions in order to create a positive atmosphere for discussion," Price wrote.

We note that the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense Sergey Shoigu reported that private military companies (PMCs) of the United States allegedly "prepare a provocation with chemical components in eastern Ukraine".

The Russian Foreign Ministry released draft treaties with the United States and NATO on security guarantees on December 17. Among other things, Moscow demanded that NATO enlargement be legally enshrined and, above all, that Ukraine and Georgia be excluded from the alliance, that military cooperation with post-Soviet countries be terminated and that U.S. nuclear weapons be withdrawn from Europe. Washington has said it is ready for discussions through bilateral cooperation, the NATO-Russia Council and OSCE. According to the Financial Times, NATO has no unified position on the negotiations with Russia, but the alliance understands the need for dialogue.