Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland testified Tuesday that she is worried Russia may get ahold of Ukraine’s “biological research facilities.”
While speaking at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said with one minute left, “does Ukraine have chemical or biological weapons?”
“Ukraine has biological research facilities, which, in fact, we are now quite concerned Russian forces may be seeking to gain control of,” Nuland testified. “So we are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces, should they approach.”
Rubio then mentioned how there are allegedly Russian propaganda groups putting out information about “how they’ve uncovered a plot by the Ukrainians to release biological weapons in the country with NATO’s coordination.”
Ukraine has “biological research facilities,” says Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland, when asked by Sen Rubio if Ukraine has biological or chemical weapons, and says she’s worried Russia may get them. But she says she’s 100% sure if there’s a biological attack, it’s Russia. pic.twitter.com/uo3dHDMfAS
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 8, 2022
“If there is a biological or chemical weapon incident or attack inside of Ukraine, is there any doubt in your mind that 100% it would be the Russians that would be behind it?” Rubio continued. (RELATED: Putin Takes Aim At Key Commodity, Raw Material Exports On The Heels Of Biden’s Russian Oil Ban)
“There is no doubt in my mind, Senator. And it is classic Russian technique to blame on the other guy what they’re planning to do themselves,” Nuland said.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald described Nuland’s statements as a “bizarre confession” and Rubio’s line of questioning as a “really good cleanup.”
“Really good cleanup by Rubio: interrupting Nuland’s bizarre confession, which he did not expect, and immediately directing her to say that if there’s a biological attack, it must be Russia,” he tweeted Tuesday.
Russia foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recently alleged Russia uncovered the military-biological program in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
“We can already conclude that in Ukrainian biological laboratories in direct proximity to the territory of our country, development of components of biological weapons was being carried out,” Zakharova said, according to Reuters.
Russia alleges the program is financed by the U.S.
“We are not talking here about peaceful uses or scientific goals,” Zakharova reportedly said.
A Pentagon spokesman called the allegations “absurd Russian misinformation” that “is patently false,” according to the report.
Russia claims the Ukrainian Health Ministry ordered for samples of plague, cholera, anthrax and other pathogens to be destroyed after Feb. 24, according to Reuters.