US sanctions Russian research institute that developed Covid-19 vaccine

The US Commerce Department blacklisted a Russian research institute that helped create the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine.

by Ben Norton

Part 3 - US blacklists Russian research institutes

The US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security announced a series of new sanctions measures on Russian research centers in the US government’s federal register on August 27.

Washington accused the blacklisted institutes of being associated with Russian chemical and biological weapons programs. The Kremlin denied this, calling the accusation “absolute nonsense.”

A spokesperson for the Russian government called the decision “the sanctions theater of the absurd.” A Kremlin press release blasted Washington for being unable to “live without sanctions and without declaring restrictions for anyone every day.”

“Given the scientific research of one of the institutes [which is engaged in developing Russia’s coronavirus vaccine] we cannot rule out that this is another example of uncovered and rampant non-competitive struggle,” said the Russian government spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov.

The US government’s media arm, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), accused these Russian research facilities of developing chemical and biological weapons.

At the same time, RFE/RL acknowledged, “Those targeted by the U.S. Commerce Department include one Russian Defense Ministry facility that is involved in Russia’s attempts to develop the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine.”

RFE/RL explained, “Formally, the move imposes new licensing restrictions on U.S. companies that seek to do business with the blacklisted companies in Russia or elsewhere.”

Russian state media noted that, in addition to being used to conduct clinical trials for the Covid-19 vaccine, the Defense Ministry’s newly blacklisted 48th Central Research Institute is “where vaccines against Ebola and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), as well as a universal flu vaccine, had been studied and successfully tested.”

The US sanctions were imposed on the following Russian research institutions:

    33rd Scientific Research and Testing Institute
    48th Central Scientific Research Institute, Kirov
    48th Central Scientific Research Institute, Sergiev Posad
    48th Central Scientific Research Institute, Yekaterinburg
    State Scientific Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology

As the US Commerce Department blacklisted these Russian research facilities, it imposed additional sanctions on two dozen Chinese institutions – mostly construction, technology, and communications companies – accusing them of “engaging in activities contrary to U.S. national security interests.”

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Source, links:

https://thegrayzone.com/2020/08/28/us-sanctions-russian-research-institute-covid-19-vaccine/

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