Nebenzia warns Europe of spread of biological agents from Ukraine
The Russian ambassador to the UN calls on the member states to think about the biological danger to Europe, which can result from an uncontrolled spread of bioagents from Ukraine.
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia on Friday warned European countries about the threat of a biological agent outbreak in the region from biological laboratories in Ukraine with links to the United States.
"Right next to the European Union, you've had an experimental platform for extremely dangerous biological trials," Nebenzia pointed out during a UN Security Council meeting.
The Russian ambassador called on the member states to "think about a very real biological danger to the people in European countries, which can result from an uncontrolled spread of bioagents from Ukraine, which as we have seen with COVID-19 is impossible to stop, and if there is such a scenario, then all Europe will be covered by it."
US refuses international inspection of its Biolabs
In the same context, Nebenzia indicated that the United States refuses international inspection at US-linked biological laboratories around the world, which means it may have something to hide.
"Placing it [United States] under international verification is something they are categorically refusing to do," Nebenzia stressed.
The Russian diplomat mentioned that Washington "blocked since 2001 a legally binding protocol under the Biological Weapons Convention about creating an effective verification mechanism to ensure compliance. And this can lead us to the thought that the United States has something to hide."
It is noteworthy that Moscow had requested that the UN Security Council hold an emergency meeting Friday to discuss the suspected manufacturing of biological weapons in Ukraine.
Days ago, Igor Kirillov, the head of the radiation, chemical, and biological defense of the Russian armed forces, reported that Russian forces found 30 biological laboratories in Ukraine, possibly used to develop biological weapons.
Kirillov revealed that the US Pentagon-funded bio-laboratories in Ukraine developed, among other things, projects for the spread of biological weapons to Russia via bats.
The WHO said it advised Ukraine to dispose of the high-threat pathogens that were stored in the country's laboratories, out of fear of "potential spills" that would spread diseases, Reuters revealed.