NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
China backs Russia’s claims that US-controlled “biological labs” in Ukraine are conducting “biological warfare activities”—accusations the White House and Ukraine have denied.
The accusations came two weeks after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his smaller neighbor.
“According to data released by the US, they have 26 biolabs and other related facilities in Ukraine over which the US Department of Defense has absolute control,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said during a press conference on Tuesday. . “All dangerous pathogens in Ukraine must be stored in these laboratories, and all research activities are carried out by the American side. Without US approval, no information can be released to the public.”
Zhao echoed the claim of his Russian counterpart, Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova, who said Kremlin forces had found evidence that Ukrainians were hiding evidence of “military biological programs” for fear that the invading army would learn more. US officials said the idea was “absurd” and that Russia could use it as cover for a possible chemical or biological attack on Ukraine.
China has also struggled to fend off fears that the COVID-19 pandemic could have originated in a laboratory in its city of Wuhan.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian speaks at a press conference in Beijing, China, 8 April 2020. Zhao on Tuesday echoed claims by his Russian counterpart, Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova, who said Kremlin forces had uncovered evidence Ukrainians were hiding evidence of a “biological war program” for fear the invading army would learn more. (REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)
RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE: LIVE UPDATES
“According to reports, a large number of dangerous viruses are stored in these facilities,” Zhao said. “In the course of its military operations, Russia has discovered that the US is using these facilities to carry out biowarfare plans.”
He said Beijing, which has so far refrained from describing Russia’s war against Ukraine as an “invasion,” is calling on “relevant parties to ensure the security of these laboratories.”
“The United States, in particular, as the party that knows the laboratories best, should disclose specific information as soon as possible, including what viruses are stored and what studies have been carried out,” he said, stating that the alleged Ukrainian laboratories were “most important”. tip of the iceberg” and that the US has hundreds more around the world.
“The United States controls 336 biological laboratories in 30 countries – 336, you understood me correctly,” he said. “He also did a lot of biological warfare at Fort Detrick at home.”
RUSSIA’S REQUIREMENTS FOR US AND UKRAINE BIOLLABORATORIES ‘ABSURDEN’ AND ‘UNTRUE’ – US DEFENSE OFFICER
Fort Detrick is home to the US Army Medical Research and Development Command in Maryland.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday called the claims of the global network of US bioweapons laboratories “absurd.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki conducts a daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, USA, on March 9, 2022. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
“Now that Russia has made these false claims, and China seems to have supported this propaganda, we should all be on the lookout for Russia possibly using chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine or organizing a false flag operation using them,” she said. she. . “This is a clear pattern, and no one should fall for it.”
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the United States led international efforts to secure and eliminate Soviet-era weapons of mass destruction, including in Ukraine. In August 2005, Washington and Kyiv agreed to cooperate to prevent the “proliferation of technologies, pathogens and expertise that could be used in the development of biological weapons.”
WHITE HOUSE WARNING RUSSIA MAY USE CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS IN UKRAINE
The agreement required Ukraine to “consolidate and store” any dangerous pathogens it possessed in centralized facilities, and also required the country’s Ministry of Health to inform the Ministry of Defense if it had to temporarily relocate them “due to emergencies.” It also allowed the US and Ukraine to work together on public health research.
Back in May 2020, Ukrainian officials called reports of U.S. military biolabs on their territory “fake news,” the Kyiv Post reported at the time.
Russia, on the other hand, has a history of violating international laws governing biological and chemical weapons, Psaki said, referring to the attempted poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and Russia’s support for Bashar al-Assad in Syria, who used chemical weapons to quell domestic riots.
However, Zhao accused the US of “silencing” and dismissing China’s and Russia’s claims as “spreading disinformation.”
“This is exactly the kind of disinformation operation that we have repeatedly seen from the Russians over the years in Ukraine and other countries of the world, which was finally exposed, and an example of the types of false pretexts that we warned the Russians about. I would, she said. “The United States is in full compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention and does not develop or possess such weapons anywhere.”
DUAL CITIZEN OF RUSSIA AND US ACCUSED OF ACTING AS A KREMLIN SPY
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby also addressed the allegations on Wednesday, calling them “nonsense” and “classic Russian propaganda.”
“We do not develop biological or chemical weapons inside Ukraine,” he said. “This is not happening.”
However, the claims sparked renewed interest Tuesday, when Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the US was concerned about the seizure of “biological research facilities” by Russian troops in Ukraine.
UKRAINE SAYS IT sank the RUSSIAN WARSHIP THAT ATTACKED SNAKE ISLAND
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida asked her if Ukraine had chemical or biological weapons.
“Ukraine has biological research centers,” Nuland replied, “which are actually very worrying that Russian troops, Russian forces might try to take control of them, so we are working with the Ukrainians on how they can interfere with any of these research materials. “. from falling into the hands of Russian troops.
Rubio then asked if Nuland believed that Ukraine would carry out a biological attack within its borders.
“I am sure you are aware that Russian propaganda groups [are] are already posting all sorts of information there about how they uncovered a plot by Ukrainians to deploy biological weapons in the country under NATO coordination,” Rubio said. “If there is an incident or attack with biological or chemical weapons inside Ukraine, do you have any doubts that the Russians will be 100% behind this?”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“I have no doubt, Senator, and it’s a classic Russian tactic to blame the other guy for what they’re about to do themselves,” Nuland said.
Patrick Ward of Fox News contributed to this report.