"This is a continuation of the sort of an addiction to sanctions. Some kind of a Theatre of the Absurd of sanctions. We, of course, categorically reject any statements alleging some of our organisations of involvement or participation in the development of chemical and bacteriological weapons — this is absolute nonsense. And given the research aspirations of one of these institutes, as you correctly noted, we cannot rule out that this is another example of an overt, unbridled and unfair competition", Peskov told journalists.
Asked to clarify whose addiction he meant, the spokesman said, "The addiction of the United States, as it cannot live without sanctions and without going a single day without a declaration of sanctions, or rather restrictions, on anyone".
On Wednesday, the United States imposed sanctions on five Russian institutes, accusing them of developing chemical and biological weapons. The list of the institutes includes the 48th Central Scientific Research Institute of the Russian Defence Ministry, which has developed the first COVID-19 vaccine together with the Gamaleya Research Institute.
On 11 August, the Russian government officially registered Sputnik V as the world's first vaccine against COVID-19. Though the vaccine is still underway with the third — last — phase of clinical trials, as per the protocols of the WHO, Russian health officials said it had proven the capability to produce stable immunity against the coronavirus.
