The Security Council has rejected a resolution drafted by Russia calling for an investigation into its accusations of Washington’s involvement in the alleged development of biological weapons in Ukraine.
Russia had officially requested a UN investigation into the accusations, which it has regularly made since the start of its war in Ukraine.
The resolution it put to the vote on Wednesday received two votes in favour (Russia and China), three against (the UK, France and the US, which have veto power) and the 10 non-permanent members of the Council all abstained.
The text provided for the “establishment of a commission composed of all members of the Security Council to investigate the allegations against the United States and Ukraine” regarding their obligations under the convention that prohibits the development, production and use of biological weapons.
Deputy Russian ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy regretted the outcome of the vote, saying: “Western countries demonstrated in every way that the law does not apply to them.”
“This is a usual colonial mentality that we’re used to and we’re not even surprised by it,” he added, promising to return to this issue at the review conference of the Biological Weapons Convention, from November 28 to December 16 in Geneva.
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield responded: “The US voted against this resolution because it is based on disinformation, dishonesty, bad faith and a total lack of respect” for the Security Council.
This resolution is “a milestone for Russia’s deception and lies” and “no one is buying it except China”, she said.
The US and Ukraine had already flatly rejected Russia’s accusations last week, with the Americans calling them “pure fabrications”.
