Tulsi Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard's Not-So-Shocking Revelation of U.S.-Funded Veterinary Biolabs in Ukraine

Trump's director of national intelligence revives a Russian disinformation campaign on her way out.

Ronald Bailey | 6.17.2026 2:25 PM

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Russian propagandists asserted in March 2022 that the U.S. was funding bioweapons laboratories in Ukraine as a justification for their armed forces' brutal invasion of that country. "During a special military operation, the facts of the Kiev regime's emergency cleanup of traces of a military biological program funded by the US Department of Defence implemented in Ukraine were revealed," asserted a Russian spokesperson on March 6, 2022. A Chinese spokesman joined in, declaring "This Russian military operation has uncovered the secret of the U.S. labs in Ukraine, and this is not something that can be dealt with in a perfunctory manner." Ironically, this outrageous allegation comes from a regime that refused to allow independent researchers to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 virus in Wuhan, China.

That authoritarian regimes lie is not surprising. However, this Russian propaganda was also parroted by prominent American right-wing figures in the United States, including former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson and podcaster Steve Bannon.

Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard quickly joined in, releasing a video on March 13, 2022 in which she stated: "Here are the undeniable facts: There are 25 to 30 U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine. According to the U.S.........

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