In 2018 the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (“OSCE”) reviewed the biolabs in Ukraine and concluded that there were several gaps in Ukraine’s biological safety and security.

As a result, in 2020 OSCE began a package of projects over three years with the aim of implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004), or UNSCR 1540 (2004). A resolution on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.

Yet those who denounce Russia’s allegations as “conspiracy theories” fail to acknowledge the reasons for OSCE embarking on these projects or that these projects are still in progress.

The United Nations security council met earlier this month at Russia’s request, to discuss Moscow’s claims that the US is funding “military biological activities” in Ukraine.

In other words, secretly developing biological weapons in Ukrainian laboratories, The Guardian deduced.  While confirming that biolabs do exist in Ukraine and the US is supporting them, to their shame, The Guardian then attempted to argue that there is a difference between biodefence and bioweapons – that the US / Ukraine biological activities are only for biodefence but Russian biological activities are bioweapons for biowarfare.

However, the concepts of biodefence and biowarfare are largely indistinguishable – biodefence implies tacit biowarfare.  Biodefence, as William Lutz would say, is doublespeak and is being consciously used to manipulate the public’s perception.

The Guardian made a point of noting what “independent world bodies” are saying:

“The World Health Organization (“WHO”) has said it is unaware of activity by Ukraine violating any international treaty, including the ban on biological weapons.

“The UN high commissioner for disarmament, Izumi Nakamitsu, confirmed that the UN was not aware of any biological weapons programmes in Ukraine. Nakamitsu pointed to the Biological Weapons Convention, which has prohibited the development and use of biological weapons since 1975. The convention was backed by Richard Nixon, who in 1969 also put a stop to the US developing its own offensive biological weapons.”

The Guardian chose to quote WHO but not OSCE which is curious to say the least and could be seen as outright dishonest.

OSCE Projects in Ukraine

The OSCE comprises 57 participating States that span the globe.  The US, UK, Ukraine and Russia are four of the participating countries.

In 2018, the OSCE conducted a comprehensive review of biological safety and security in Ukraine. As a result of the analysis, several gaps were identified in Ukraine’s biological safety and security.  So, working in partnership with Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and Food and Safety Consumer Protection, OSCE initiated a package of three inter-related biosafety and biosecurity projects for Ukraine. With a planned start date of 2020 and ending in 2023 the projects are funded by the European Union to the tune of EUR1,9 million.

The aim of OSCE’s projects, as listed below, is to strengthen biological safety and security:

1. Project 1 – Harmonisation of Existing Ukrainian Regulations on Biosafety and Biosecurity with International Standards
2. Project 2 – Establishing of the Veterinary Surveillance System Sustainability in Ukraine for EDP-Related Diseases (Especially Dangerous Pathogens)
3. Project 3 – Awareness raising, education and training for life scientists on biosafety and biosecurity

As it will be relevant to the next section of this article, we will highlight some points regarding Project 1.

The objective of this project is to improve Ukraine’s biosafety and biosecurity system through enhancing its national regulatory framework in line with obligations under UNSCR 1540 (2004). The expected results are:

What Did the UK Say in Response to Russia’s Allegations?

The Guardian made no mention of how the UK responded however, we will. Below, in bold italics, are extracts from the beginning of the statement made by UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council Meeting on Ukraine, 11 March 2022:

“Russia has today brought into the Security Council a series of wild, completely baseless and irresponsible conspiracy theories.  Let me put it diplomatically: they are utter nonsense.”

The term “conspiracy theory” is frequently used to dismiss uncomfortable information as an emotional knee jerk reaction in defence of one’s worldview.  The use of the term has been noted as early as 1880 and conspiracy theorists used to be accepted as a normal part of life.  In fact, it could be said that democracy and free market capitalism were founded on conspiracy theories.

But that all changed in the 1960s.  In an April 1967 dispatch, the CIA created the label “conspiracy theory” as part of its psychological warfare operations.

“The self-appointed ‘power elite’ have devised – and successfully deployed – ways and means of manipulating the public’s awareness to such an extent that when a researcher shares an unpleasant conspiracy truth in an effort to raise awareness and thus collective empowerment, the would-be recipients of this unwanted information dismiss the material using the very terminology designed and supplied by ‘the system’.”

In 1967, the CIA Created the Label “Conspiracy Theorists”, Global Freedom Movement

“There is not a shred of credible evidence that Ukraine has a biological weapons programme.”

Woodward herself provides no evidence nor does she indicate what investigations the UK has conducted to establish that her claim is a fact. It’s important at this point to recall that the term “biological weapons programme” is doublespeak. The concepts of biodefence and biowarfare are largely indistinguishable – biodefence implies tacit biowarfare.

“Ukraine is a State Party to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (“BWC”) in good standing.  As we’ve heard, the research facilities are established facilities set up to deal with public health hazards.”

The BWC currently has 183 States Parties and four Signatory States. The US, UK, Ukraine and Russia are all State Parties to the BCW.  There are only ten countries which have neither signed nor acceded to the BWC.  Which kind of takes the wind out of Woodward’s sail.

What’s more notable and contrary to Woodward’s “in good standing” remark is the current OSCE projects – the implementation in Ukraine’s biolabs of UNSCR 1540 (2004), the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. Considering she was addressing the UN security council, it’s surprising and perhaps irresponsible that Woodward made no reference to, and it would be negligence if she were to claim ignorance of, OSCE’s ongoing projects.

In these first few remarks Woodward set the tone of her statement and we should listen to her full statement with wisdom, testing it for accuracy, doublespeak and the use of psychological manipulation with the aim of creating a particular narrative. 

You can hear Woodward’s statement in the video below, which has been embedded to begin at the timestamp where her remarks begin.

Woodward is obviously exhorting a party line, the question is – whose?