The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russian scientists for developing toxins, a measure aimed at punishing biological weapons research. However, several member states maintain active investments in similar chemical and biological defense programs. This contradiction reveals a double standard where the adversary is penalized while one's own actions are ignored, exposing the hypocrisy of a selective security policy.
Dual-use technology: the dilemma of toxicological research 🧪
Research into lethal toxins such as ricin or botulinum neurotoxin is classified as dual-use technology, as it can be applied both in medicine and weaponry. European laboratories, under programs like PESCO, develop countermeasures that require handling these agents. Without a verifiable global treaty with independent inspections, any scientific advancement can be diverted towards offensive purposes. The solution is not to sanction some but not others, but to establish uniform rules for all countries, including allies.
The EU: sanctions Russia but keeps the toxin jar in its basement 🧴
It turns out that sanctioning Russian scientists for cultivating toxins is easier than admitting that in Lyon or Porton Down, dangerous bugs are also bred. It's like fining a neighbor for having a biting dog while you raise wolves in your garden. The EU calls for a world without chemical weapons, but only if others manufacture them. Meanwhile, don't look too closely at Brussels' cabinets, lest you find a bottle of sarin labeled as French perfume.