I haven't read a proper justification of why the biolabs are/were there. The pro-Putin argument is that since it's paid for by the Pentagon, it must mean they're researching weapons.

Well, the Dept of Defense does more than pay for weapons, defense also means defense against things like pandemic-causing viruses or pathogens that might destroy food, that's why they're funding labs to research these things (i.e. bio threats!) in Ukraine: https://ua.usembassy.gov/embassy/kyiv/sections-offices/defen...

Somehow, no one's been able to explain this clearly to everyone who's claiming "US-funded bio weapons!".