Against coronavirus vaccine developers: the United States imposed sanctions on Russian scientific institutions

The US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security has sanctioned five Russian research institutes. Among them was the Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense, which took part in the work on a vaccine against coronavirus infection.

In particular, the list includes the 33rd Central Research and Testing Institute of the Ministry of Defense, the 48th Central Research Institute in Kirov, its branches in Sergiev Posad and Yekaterinburg, as well as the State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology.

As follows from the document, the American side has reason to believe that these organizations are allegedly associated with activities contrary to the "interests of US national security and foreign policy," namely, the development of chemical and biological weapons.

Being included in the list of the US Department of Commerce means that restrictions on the export, re-export and transfer of goods are imposed on these organizations.

• Reuters
• © Eric Thayer

Meanwhile, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters that the United States does not intend to accept the results of tests of the Russian vaccine against coronavirus infection.

“We will not accept foreign tests from Russia,” he said in an interview with Politico, noting that he would not inject himself with a Russian vaccine against COVID-19.

Dmitry Novikov, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma's international affairs committee, called the actions of the American side a step aimed at reducing Russia's opportunities.

“This is another step aimed at narrowing the economic opportunities of Russia, narrowing social opportunities, narrowing scientific developments. The United States does not hide its goal of creating problems for the Russian economy and Russia as a whole, "the parliamentarian said in an interview with RT.

He noted that the initiators of the sanctions pursue two goals at once: to increase the sanctions pressure on Moscow and to lobby the interests of their own companies engaged in pharmaceutical development.

Senator Oleg Morozov believes that by its actions Washington is trying to divert attention from the fact that American specialists were unable to create a vaccine against COVID-19 faster than their Russian counterparts. 

"On the one hand, this is a question of the prestige of American science, which has once again lost to us and is now covering up its defeat with sanctions, and on the other, a bare calculation, namely, an attempt to close Western markets for our vaccine," the senator said in an interview with RIA Novosti , while expressing confidence that the Russian vaccine will be in demand, even despite the restrictive measures.

Note that as data on the development of Russian vaccines were published, data on the participation of various organizations in this process appeared. In particular, the 48th Central Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, which was included in the new US sanctions list, in June announced the results of preclinical trials of a vaccine against coronavirus.

As the head of the organization, Sergei Borisevich, said then, during the research, the safety of the drug and its protective efficacy were proved.

Director of the Institute of Contemporary State Development Dmitry Solonnikov drew attention to the fact that in addition to Russian institutions, about 30 Chinese organizations were included in the list - this is almost half of the new list.

“The United States chooses its opponents, clearly identifies them and will continue all kinds of pressure that can be organized in this situation ... Washington will by any means promote its developments in the world, in particular, its vaccine, its patents. They will try to get everyone to work in their patent field, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.

Solonnikov believes that in the long term, the United States will try to create problems for both Russian and Chinese vaccines when they appear on the market. According to him, the United States will by any means block the penetration of developments from other countries.

Elimination of chemical weapons

We add that the United States has not yet completed the disposal of the chemical weapons that Washington has. According to the statements of the American side, this process should be completed in 2023. In Russia, chemical weapons were completely eliminated in 2017.

In March 2018, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov recalled this circumstance.

“We, accordingly, have eliminated all our stocks of chemical warfare agents over the period until 2017, and we did it under the strictest international control,” Ryabkov said at the time.