State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin condemned the absence of United States Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland from a session invited by the Commission on Biolabs, describing it as a sign of disrespect toward the Parliament of the Russian Federation. Russian officials confirmed to TASS that Nuland did not attend the event, a detail that has now become a focal point of discussion about how foreign representatives engage with the body that oversees national immunology and biomedical research oversight. The absence was interpreted as a public snub that could undermine the principles of parliamentary accountability in bilateral diplomacy. In response, the Speaker of the State Duma signaled a concrete administrative step, directing lawmakers to formally extend an invitation to the U.S. Ambassador to Moscow, Lynn Tracy, to engage with the commission and explain the absence at the session. The move underscores a broader pattern of heightened attention to how foreign diplomats interact with Russian legislative bodies during sensitive investigations.
Volodin framed the situation as more than a procedural lapse. He asserted that a country which presents itself as a standard bearer for democracy cannot merely skip a formal parliamentary process and pretend the matter does not exist. The politician insisted that the invitation be extended to the U.S. ambassador as a means to hold the embassy and, by extension, American policy makers accountable for the decision not to participate. The rhetoric stressed that those who champion democratic norms should answer for actions and omissions that affect the assembly and the people it represents. The remarks added a layer of diplomatic pressure to the investigation and signaled readiness to insist on direct explanations from senior U.S. officials.
Konstantin Kosachev, a former Vice-President of the Federation Council, offered additional commentary on the sequence of events. He noted that concluding the inquiry into the activities of so-called biolabs in Ukraine through the State Duma’s commission does not imply that the parliamentary review is finished. Rather, Kosachev suggested that the commission would continue to examine related evidence, questions, and testimonies as part of an ongoing process. This expectation reflects a broader commitment to a thorough review of foreign aid and research programs that may intersect with national security concerns. The emphasis remained on maintaining a rigorous, ongoing dialogue between lawmakers and international partners, with the understanding that the Commission’s work is iterative and evolves as new information becomes available.