Disinfo: Ukraine became a US testing site for developing biological weapons

Summary

The statement of the US Embassy that there are American biological laboratories in Ukraine, puts the country in the same basket as Georgia and turns it in a testing ground for development of new types of biological weapons. [Supposedly] these biological laboratories were built “to benefit” Ukrainians. They develop various new viruses and then test vaccines against them on Ukrainians. It is scary that Ukraine has become a testing ground for the creation and testing of new types of biological weapons.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative that the US is building biological laboratories in Eastern Europe, particularly in Ukraine and Georgia. For instance, see this claim alleging that the US experimented on people in Georgia. Ukraine and the US have signed a partnership agreement to reduce biological threats. "The U.S. Department of Defence’s Biological Threat Reduction Program works with the Ukrainian Government to consolidate and secure pathogens and toxins of security concern in Ukrainian government facilities, while allowing for peaceful research and vaccine development. We also work with our Ukrainian partners to ensure Ukraine can detect and report outbreaks caused by dangerous pathogens before they pose security or stability threats," informs the US Embassy in Ukraine in a recent statement. The US State Department supports the activities of the Ministry of Health, State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, and the Ministry of Defence in order to study and reduce different types of biological threats in Ukraine and worldwide. Ukraine, the European Union, the United States, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Uzbekistan are also members of the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine that seeks to advance global peace and prosperity through cooperative Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) risk mitigation. See also previous narratives claiming that Ukraine became a testing site for US biological weapons here and here and that the epidemic of measles in Ukraine was caused by US laboratories.

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politnavigator.net (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 196
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 24/04/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Georgia, US, Ukraine
  • Keywords: Lugar Laboratory, laboratory, Biological weapons
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Apr 23, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on Ukraine and its relations with the European Union. No such demands have been made upon Ukraine. As explained by the permanent representative of Ukraine to the EU, Mykola Tochytskyi, Ukraine will receive €1.2 billion in two tranches to overcome the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first €600 million will be provided at once, after the approval of the decision by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union unconditionally. The second tranche of €600 million will be provided under conditions. These conditions must be defined by the negotiations which will start soon. Therefore, the exact conditions on which this support will be granted to Ukraine have not yet been defined. Tochytskyi mentioned that, in general, such conditions may include: improvement of public finance management, labour and social security, further development of anti-corruption laws and business regulations. Moreover, Ukraine's cooperation with the IMF is another important condition. See previous disinformation narratives challenging EU-Ukraine relations and, in particular, the Association Agreement: Europe destroyed Ukraine, The EU Association Agreement destroyed the Ukrainian economy.

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Apr 23, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about war in Ukraine, casting Ukraine as the sole responsible party for implementation of the Minsk agreements. At the end of April 2020, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Ukrainian side in the Trilateral Contact Group offered to hold negotiations in a video format so that negotiations could continue. “At the beginning of each week, we have a Minsk video-call. We want to move forward. Because it is the only thing that brings us closer to solving this issue globally," the Ukrainian President emphasised. At the end of January 2020, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution on the status of the monitoring procedure, where Russia was named as a “party to the Minsk agreements”. The PACE resolution noted that the Russian authorities should, among other things, “fully implement the Minsk agreements to which the Russian Federation is a party and to end its military intervention in, and support for, illegally armed formations in Eastern Ukraine." Since 2014, negotiations with Russia to resolve the conflict in the Donbas have been held within the framework of the Normandy Format and the Minsk process. A special Trilateral contact group is working on a peaceful settlement of the situation in Donbas. Three parties are involved in this process: representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE. Unofficially, representatives of the "LDNR" factions are also present. The second set of measures to implement the Minsk agreements was signed on 12 February 2015. The first paragraph of the document relates to an immediate ceasefire. Next, it is necessary to withdraw heavy weapons, ensure OSCE monitoring, release prisoners, grant Donbas special status and hold local elections, provide amnesty to the parties involved in the conflict and restore control over the Ukrainian-Russian border in the conflict zone. You can read other similar cases claiming that Ukraine does not fulfill key point of Minsk agreements on negotiation with the "LDNR" or that Ukraine broke the Minsk agreements by allowing the National Police on the contact line.

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Apr 23, 2020
Disproof

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