The United States rejected accusations by Berlin on Monday that it had hijacked some 200,000 protective masks from the new coronavirus for the benefit of the police, denouncing " disinformation campaigns " to spark divisions.
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Berlin authorities said on Friday (April 4th) that an order for 200,000 Covid-19 protective masks for Berlin police had been " confiscated " at Bangkok airport in Thailand, suspecting US intervention.
The senator in the Interior of the City-State of Berlin, Andreas Geisel, even used the term of " modern piracy ", estimating " that one does not act thus with transatlantic partners ". The mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller, also strongly criticized the United States: “ the actions of the American president are anything but united and responsible. It is inhuman and unacceptable, "he tweeted on Friday.
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In response, the US embassy spokesman said he was " concerned about the pervasive attempts to divide international efforts by disinformation campaigns without any identified source ".
The mask, a sought-after product worldwide
The United States has already been accused, in particular by several presidents of French regions, of " bidding " and depriving them of the masks that China has promised to sell them, which Washington has denied.
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The great demand for this equipment has now become a pitiless competition between countries: snags sometimes arise inside the European Union where several members have prohibited the export of medical equipment or decided to requisition, like France .
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