The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has rejected the unfounded accusations of US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard about the alleged long-term funding by the US government of more than 120 "biolaboratories", including in Ukraine.
Points of attention
- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry refutes baseless accusations of biolabs made by Tulsi Gabbard, emphasizing its adherence to international obligations under the BTWC.
- Cooperation between Ukraine and the US aims at enhancing public health capabilities and biosafety standards, not military objectives.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry refutes Gabbard's statement about "biolaboratories"
The Ministry emphasized that Ukraine consistently fulfills its international obligations under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC).
The Ukrainian side has never carried out activities related to the development, production or accumulation of biological weapons, the Foreign Ministry added.
Cooperation between Ukraine and the United States in the field of biosafety for many years has been aimed exclusively at strengthening the capabilities of the public health system, epidemiological surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, biosafety, and biosecurity.
This is a normal civilian activity that complies with international health standards and practices and is not related to any military objectives.
Laboratory institutions that participated in relevant international technical assistance programs are diagnostic, scientific or reference laboratories of the public health system, veterinary medicine or other scientific institutions, the department emphasized.
The topic of alleged "biological weapons laboratories" is not new — Russia has used it in its propaganda for many years. At the same time, all Russian accusations have been repeatedly refuted at the international level.
Thus, in 2022, at the request of the Russian Federation in accordance with Article V of the BTWC, a formal consultative process was conducted with the participation of the States Parties to the Convention, during which all data on the relevant cooperation programs, their objectives and implementation mechanisms were provided.
The department assured that Ukraine remains committed to the principles of transparency, international cooperation, and strengthening the global biosafety system.
We call for relying on the results of international consultations and verified facts, not on distorted interpretations or Russian propaganda.
Previously, Hubbard "declassified" data that allegedly indicates the long-term funding of more than 120 "biolaboratories" by the US government, including in Ukraine.
Her statement claims that among such facilities, where research on biological pathogens, including dangerous ones, is allegedly being conducted, there are laboratories in Ukraine, which may be "under threat due to the prolonged Russian-Ukrainian war."
It is noteworthy that on the "map" where "biolabs" are supposedly marked, the Gabbard office indicated the incorrect location of Kyiv and marked one of the cities as "Cherniv" instead of, presumably, Chernivtsi. The "map" also indicates that Ukraine also supposedly has "biolabs" in Russian-occupied Crimea and the city of "Zakarpattia."
