Johnson: Putin's 'war crimes' cause concern over Ukraine's biolab
Putin is committing war crimes and cannot be trusted to act competently toward a biolab, lawmaker says
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jesse Watters voiced concern over Russia's malign actions toward sensitive Ukrainian infrastructure like maternity hospitals and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on "Jesse Watters Primetime."
Discussing the topic with Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., the lawmaker pointed to testimony from Biden Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland about the risks from the Ukrainian biolab, and said Russian President Vladimir Putin was guilty of "war crimes."
Nuland told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Ukraine does have labs, and that the United States was helping them keep Russia from taking them over.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}United States Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin (STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
"While I was at that hearing, I was pretty surprised to hear what Secretary Nuland had to tell us," Johnson said Wednesday.
"I think you've described it pretty well," he said. "I certainly was concerned what our activity was in the Wuhan lab — I've been trying to get, for example, the State Department report on the Wuhan lab — and the State Department is not being transparent with me."
"But what I can say is I'm concerned about what Russia's doing in Ukraine because of these types of facilities … look at how reckless they are with the nuclear facilities now being bombed."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Johnson said he hopes Putin's military commanders who are engaging in this risky behavior are brought up on international charges after the war.
"I'm highly concerned about the carelessness, not to mention the atrocities now being committed by Russia in their unprovoked and aggressive war toward Ukraine," he said.
Watters asked why there would even be such a biolab in a geopolitically tense country like Ukraine.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}State Department Under Secretary for Public Affairs Victoria J. Nuland. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool) (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool)
"I don't trust Putin with bio. It's just it's too nuts. After what happened in Wuhan, we can't have that happen again."
"Ukraine has biological research facilities, which in fact we are quite concerned Russian troops, Russian forces, may be seeking to gain control of, so we are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach," Nuland said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nuland said this in response to a question from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., about whether Ukraine had chemical or biological weapons.
Nuland said that if there is any biological or chemical attack in Ukraine, "there is no doubt in my mind" that it would be carried out by Russia, and that it is "classic Russian technique to blame on the other guy what they’re planning to do themselves."