https://www.rt.com/russia/551588-us-res ... ioweapons/
10 Mar, 2022 02:05
US responds to Russian bioweapons claims
Washington has insisted that it hasn't been operating any chemical or biological laboratories in Ukraine
The US has rejected a Russian allegation that it has helped to operate “biolabs” in Ukraine working with highly dangerous pathogens. Moscow has claimed that Kiev is scrambling to destroy the materials and cover up a possible violation of the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).
“The United States does not own or operate any chemical or biological laboratories in Ukraine, it is in full compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and Biological Weapons Convention, and it does not develop or possess such weapons anywhere,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday.
The US official argued that Moscow, and not Washington, was running “active chemical and biological weapons programs,” but stopped short of citing any evidence in his statement.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki echoed Price’s remark, also accusing Moscow of setting the stage for a potential “false flag” attack, a charge made previously by administration officials.
“We should all be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine or to create a false flag operation using them,” she said in a Twitter post on Wednesday.
Psaki argued that Russia “has a track record of accusing the West of the very violations that Russia itself is perpetrating.” She called the latest allegations “an obvious ploy by Russia to try to justify the further premeditated, unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine.”
Washington’s denials came hours after Russia’s Foreign Ministry called for strengthening the international bioweapons treaty by adding a mechanism to verify compliance by member nations. The Russian military claimed on Monday that Ukrainian authorities had ordered the “hasty” destruction of dangerous pathogens that were stored at US-backed biological labs across the former Soviet republic.
US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland acknowledged on Tuesday that Ukraine has “biological research facilities.” Speaking under oath in a Senate hearing, she said that US officials are “quite concerned” that Russian forces may seek to gain control of the labs, and were “working” with Kiev to prevent this from happening.
Moscow attacked Kiev in late February, following a seven-year stand off over Ukraine's failure to implement the terms of the Minsk peace agreements, and Russia's eventual recognition of the Donbass republics in Donetsk and Lugansk. The German and French-brokered protocols had been designed to regularise the status of the regions inside the Ukrainian state.
US responds to Russian bioweapons claims
Re: US responds to Russian bioweapons claims
https://www.rt.com/russia/551510-nuland ... bs-attack/
8 Mar, 2022 22:41
US comments on Ukrainian ‘biolabs’
Washington confirms it is working with Kiev to prevent Russia from accessing the laboratories
US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland has confirmed that Washington has been involved in an effort to make sure no “materials” Ukraine keeps in its biolabs end up with the Russian military.
“Ukraine has biological research facilities, which, in fact, we are now quite concerned… Russian troops, Russian forces may be seeking to gain control of,” Nuland said on Tuesday as she testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“We’re working with Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach,” she added.
The Russian military previously claimed that the Ukrainian authorities have been hastily destroying dangerous materials, including highly pathogenic bacterial and viral agents they allegedly kept in laboratories linked to the Pentagon.
On Monday, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov said the documents seen by the Russian military suggest that some of these laboratories worked with anthrax, among other things. Kirillov also claimed that the only reason Kiev reportedly moved to destroy the materials was out of concern that Russian experts “will highly likely prove Ukraine and the US have been in violation of the Biological Weapons Convention,” once they study the samples.
While Moscow has expressed concern over the alleged development of bioweapons in Ukraine, Nuland appeared to preemptively blame Russia for any potential release of hazardous materials amid the ongoing military conflict.
Nuland agreed with Senator Marco Rubio that if a chemical or biological “incident” or “attack” takes place in Ukraine, then Russia would be the culprit.
“There is no doubt in my mind, senator, and it is a classic Russian technique to blame on the other guy what they’re planning to do themselves,” she said.
Kiev has denied it was designing bioweapons. The Pentagon said speculation about its involvement in these programs in former Soviet states is ‘Russian disinformation’.
8 Mar, 2022 22:41
US comments on Ukrainian ‘biolabs’
Washington confirms it is working with Kiev to prevent Russia from accessing the laboratories
US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland has confirmed that Washington has been involved in an effort to make sure no “materials” Ukraine keeps in its biolabs end up with the Russian military.
“Ukraine has biological research facilities, which, in fact, we are now quite concerned… Russian troops, Russian forces may be seeking to gain control of,” Nuland said on Tuesday as she testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“We’re working with Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach,” she added.
The Russian military previously claimed that the Ukrainian authorities have been hastily destroying dangerous materials, including highly pathogenic bacterial and viral agents they allegedly kept in laboratories linked to the Pentagon.
On Monday, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov said the documents seen by the Russian military suggest that some of these laboratories worked with anthrax, among other things. Kirillov also claimed that the only reason Kiev reportedly moved to destroy the materials was out of concern that Russian experts “will highly likely prove Ukraine and the US have been in violation of the Biological Weapons Convention,” once they study the samples.
While Moscow has expressed concern over the alleged development of bioweapons in Ukraine, Nuland appeared to preemptively blame Russia for any potential release of hazardous materials amid the ongoing military conflict.
Nuland agreed with Senator Marco Rubio that if a chemical or biological “incident” or “attack” takes place in Ukraine, then Russia would be the culprit.
“There is no doubt in my mind, senator, and it is a classic Russian technique to blame on the other guy what they’re planning to do themselves,” she said.
Kiev has denied it was designing bioweapons. The Pentagon said speculation about its involvement in these programs in former Soviet states is ‘Russian disinformation’.