Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
[ColonelCassad] Briefing by the Russian Defense Ministry on the US military biological laboratories on the territory of Ukraine.
Translated into English
So far, the Russian Federation has provided more facts and evidence of attempts by the Americans to develop WMD in Ukraine than the US itself could find in Iraq in an attempt to "discover" Saddam Hussein's WMD.
For blog readers, this topic is certainly not new, the first materials on this topic were published 5 years ago. Now it's just that all this is gradually being confirmed and overgrown with texture. Hence the hasty US attempts to clean up the tails.
Nuland, of course, made a big mistake when she admitted the existence of laboratories, and then began to justify them. For this, not only here, but also in the states, they seized on. If the Russian Federation correctly plays this card, it may turn out the same way as it was with the story about the secret CIA prisons, which were also in Ukraine.
| Courtesy of Omomolet Phutch9064. Unfortunately part of the headline was lost — Omomolet Phutch9064, do you recall what it was? |
| The World Socialist Web Site is very excited. LookLookLook!! Propaganda points to be made!!! |
On Tuesday, Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland stated before a Senate hearing that "biological research facilities" have been operating in Ukraine, in response to a question from Senator Marco Rubio (Republican of Florida) about the presence of chemical or biological weapons in the country.
While she said nothing about US involvement in the labs, Nuland rapidly shifted her testimony during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing to efforts by the State Department to "prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces." She went on, in a carefully orchestrated exchange with Rubio, to say that if there were a biological or chemical weapons attack inside Ukraine, it would "no doubt" be carried out by Russia.
The following is the transcript of the exchange between Rubio and Nuland:
Sen. Marco Rubio: Does Ukraine have chemical or biological weapons?
Victoria Nuland: Ukraine has biological research facilities which, in fact, we’re now quite concerned Russian troops, Russian forces may be seeking to gain control of, so we are working with the Ukrainians on how we can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach.
Sen. Marco Rubio: I’m sure you’re aware that the Russian propaganda groups are already putting out there all kinds of information about how they have uncovered a plot by the Ukrainians to unleash biological weapons in the country, and with NATO’s coordination.
If there is a biological or chemical weapon incident or attack inside Ukraine, is there any doubt in your mind that 100% it would be the Russians behind it?
Victoria Nuland: There is no doubt in my mind, senator. And in fact, it is a classic Russian technique to blame the other guy for what they are planning to do themselves.
The extraordinary admission by Nuland about Ukrainian bioweapons labs confirms reports from Moscow that a military biological program was being operated inside the country by the US. The State Department admission also proves that statements by the Pentagon calling the Russian reports "absurd," and from the office of Ukrainian President Zelensky denying that such programs existed, were entirely false.
Ukraine did not develop weapons of mass destruction, Zelensky said
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[RIA Novosti] Volodymyr Zelensky stated on his Telegram channel that chemical or other weapons of mass destruction were not developed in Ukraine, and laboratories in the country remained from Soviet times and are engaged in "ordinary science."
"Most (laboratories) ... are left over from Soviet times and are engaged in conventional science. Conventional, not military technology," Zelensky said in a video message.
"We are adequate people. I am the president of an adequate country, an adequate people... Nobody is developing any chemical or any other weapons of mass destruction on our soil," he added.
The Russian Ministry of Defense previously held a presentation showing that the US spent more than $200 million to operate biological laboratories in Ukraine that were part of the US military biological program. The Russian Federation , in connection with the facts of US military biological activities in Ukraine, does not exclude the launch of a consultation mechanism under the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons (BTWC), Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lizqian, commenting on information about US-funded biological laboratories in Ukraine, urged Washington to clarify their biological militarization activities at home and abroad.
Yep, 2005: ThreatReduction Program Extends Reach to Ukrainian Biological Facilities
U.S. cooperation with Ukraine under the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program was expanded Aug. 29 with an agreement to use U.S. CTR funds to improve security for pathogens stored at biological research and health facilities in the former Soviet republic.
Under the agreement, CTR funds will for the first time flow directly to projects aimed at securing pathogen strains and sensitive biological knowledge within Ukraine. The United States also will work to improve Ukrainian capabilities to detect, diagnose, and treat outbreaks of infectious diseases, as well as determine whether outbreaks are natural or the result of bioterrorism.
The agreement was signed during the visit to Kiev of a high-level U.S. delegation led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.).
Among the facilities in Ukraine intended to receive security upgrades are those once linked to the Soviet-era anti-plague network, which continue to store libraries of naturally occuring pathogens for the purposes of research and public health. Andy Fisher, spokesperson for Lugar, told Arms Control Today on Sept. 15 the anti-plague facilities “were threats and they are threats,” given the risk that poor security could allow terrorists access to pathogens. Fisher also cited the possibility that outdated operating procedures and equipment could result in the unintentional leakage of pathogens from these facilities, endangering the public health of the region.
