Vladimir Ermakov, Director of the Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control of the Russian Foreign Ministry, spoke in an exclusive interview with TASS about Washington's role in illegal biological activities in Ukraine, and also answered questions about new weapons of Russia and the United States.
— Earlier it became known that Russia is forming a package of documents in order to launch an official investigation of military biological activities in Ukraine. Could you tell us in more detail what these documents are, what is their volume, sources? Is there any understanding when they will be sent to the UN Security Council and whether it is planned to make this evidence public? What reaction do we expect from the world community in this regard?
— Indeed, we are currently preparing documents to activate the mechanisms provided for in articles V and VI of the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons (BTWC). Let me remind you that Article V provides for consultations between the BTWC participating States in resolving any issues regarding the purpose of the Convention or in connection with the implementation of its provisions, and article VI prescribes cooperation in conducting any investigations of possible violations of obligations under the BTWC and determines their procedure.
We intend to complete the preparation of materials in the near future and initiate the activities prescribed by the aforementioned articles of the Convention at the BTWC site and at the UN Security Council. The relevant meetings will be open.
The "package" of documents we are forming is based on facts and evidence obtained during a special military operation. They confirm that in biological laboratories on the territory of Ukraine, with the support of the Pentagon's Military Threat Reduction Agency and its affiliated companies, military biological activities were carried out contrary to articles I and IV of the BTWC. In particular, work was carried out on potential elements of biological weapons based on particularly dangerous pathogens that have natural foci both in Ukraine and in Russia, as well as the study of possible methods and ways of their epidemic spread. The emergency destruction of bioagents was required precisely to prevent the disclosure of the facts of the BTWC violation.
The information received in Ukraine confirms the validity of the claims repeatedly made by Russia in the context of the implementation of the BTWC regarding the military biological activities of Western countries in the post-Soviet space. We will demand from the United States and its allies, instead of the previous empty excuses, to provide exhaustive explanations, information and documents about such activity on Ukrainian territory to resolve all the issues that have arisen, as well as to return to the proper implementation of the BTWC.
In order to prevent the recurrence of such a situation and in order to prevent military biological activities carried out contrary to the provisions of the BTWC, decisive measures are required to strengthen the Convention regime. First of all, it is necessary to resume work on a legally binding Protocol to the BTWC with an effective verification mechanism, which has been blocked by the United States since 2001. Decisive practical steps are also needed to implement a number of other initiatives (including those proposed by Russia) that are aimed at improving the effectiveness of the BTWC regime.
— As you know, at the initiative of Washington, bilateral contacts with Moscow were suspended on a number of issues, including START-3. Are there any risks that in this regard the parties will not have enough time to develop a new contract, or is the situation under control?
— I would like to clarify that the interaction between Russia and the United States as parties to the current START Treaty, or as it is also called START-3, has not been interrupted. In the forms provided for this, consideration of issues related to its implementation continues, the necessary data and notifications are exchanged. We expect that such work will continue until the expiration of the Contract, which, as you know, was extended until February 2026.
What the Americans really "froze" is the dialogue on strategic stability, within the framework of which joint work was launched last year, in particular, with an eye to preparing a possible agreement or arrangements to replace the START Treaty. In the current conditions, when Western countries with their inherent cynicism have chosen a strategy of conducting a proxy war with Russia and we have to rigidly defend our fundamental interests threatened by Kiev, which has long been under the external control of the Western bloc, it hardly makes sense to speculate about the prospects of a strategic dialogue with the United States. Apparently, it will be possible to return to consideration of this issue after the completion of a special military operation and the full solution of the relevant tasks set by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
— Earlier it was reported that Moscow and Washington are considering the possibility of resuming mutual inspections within the framework of the Treaty on Measures for Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. Is there any progress in this direction, is it possible to talk about approximate deadlines?
— Let me remind you that the inspection activity on the DSNV was suspended by mutual agreement of the parties against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine restrictions. The issue of the resumption of inspections continues to be considered through the Bilateral Consultative Commission on the Treaty. Due to the confidential nature of its activities, the details of the discussions are not disclosed by the parties.
— The Russian Ambassador to Washington stated that the United States would like to limit or prohibit the use of such modern Russian weapons as, for example, Sarmat missiles and Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicles under future arms control agreements. Can this be the subject of discussion or is it unacceptable?
— We have repeatedly confirmed that we are ready to discuss in detail the promising Russian weapons that we are creating in opposition to the destabilizing actions of the United States, including in the field of missile defense, in the context of potential Russian-American agreements in the strategic sphere. Moreover, it should be discussed within the framework of the new comprehensive "security equation" proposed by Russia, which would cover all offensive and defensive weapons capable of influencing strategic stability. This approach remains valid. But I emphasize: it may happen that the United States will choose the path of further escalation of confrontation and then dialogue on this topic will be impossible.
— How do you assess the reports about the successful testing by the United States of a prototype hypersonic weapon under the ARRW (Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon) program? What are the risks from these developments for Russian security and do we have something to answer?
— Taking into account the destructive actions of the United States in the field of international security observed in recent decades, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the creation of any new weapons system by them in itself creates risks for countries that the Americans consider to be among their opponents and opponents. Such weapons mean the appearance at the disposal of the United States of another tool for undisguised forceful pressure on those who do not want to follow in the wake of Washington's selfish hegemonic aspirations.
As for the response to such developments, in this particular case, according to the statements of the Americans themselves, it is they who have been trying for years to "catch up" with Russia, which has gone far ahead in creating hypersonic systems. In our case, this was an inevitable step, the purpose of which was to ensure the possibility of guaranteed overcoming of the US global missile defense system, as well as reliable maintenance of strategic stability. But for Washington, apparently, this is an attempt to restore the noticeably shaken reputation of an advanced military power with the most high—tech weapons. It is noteworthy that despite the huge financial injections, not a single full-fledged hypersonic system has been adopted in the United States so far.
Artem Popov was talking