UNILATERAL WITHDRAWALU.S. Withdraws from Nonproliferation Center in Ukraine
Among the 66 international organizations, the Trump Administration has announced its intent to withdraw from the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU), an internationally funded organization based in Kyiv dedicated to preventing the proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.
Among the 66 international organizations, the Trump Administration has announced its intent to withdraw from the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU), an internationally funded organization based in Kyiv dedicated to preventing the proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. The organization, founded in 1993, creates education, training, and mentorship programs to promote international best practices to mitigate chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats through civilian science and technology partnerships. STCU has been the subject of relentless, unfounded allegations by Russia that it has supported the development of biological weapons in Ukraine. As Biodefense Program Director, Gregory Koblentz has described in a talk at NTI, this false narrative was a key component of Russia’s disinformation campaign to justify its illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Needless to say, Russian state media is ecstatic about this decision by the Trump Administration. Professor Koblentz, Biodefense PhD student Ryan Houser, and Kings College professor Filippa Lentzos co-authored an article in 2023 about Ukraine’s legitimate efforts to strengthen its biosafety and biosecurity and the importance of international assistance from the United States, STCU, and others, to help Ukraine achieve this objective. The Global Partnership Against the Spread of WMD sponsors a WMD Counter Disinfo project (co-lead by Dr. Lentzos) that provides more information about Russian disinformation related to biological weapons (and other weapons of mass destruction) and how to counter this disinformation.
Further Reading
• “Justice is finally within reach for victims of Syria’s chemical weapons attacks,” Gregory Koblentz, The Hill
• “We welcome the Syrian leadership’s commitment to eradicate chemical weapons: UK statement at the UN Security Council,” Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Caroline Quinn, UK Deputy Political Coordinator
• “We Must Remain Committed to a World Free of Chemical Weapons,” Izumi Nakamitsu, UN
Gregory Koblentz is Director, Biodefense Graduate Program at George Mason University, and Editor in Chief of the Pandora Report. This article is published courtesy of the Pandora Report.
