Russian Envoy Accuses West of Ignoring Ukraine's Alleged Chemical Weapons Use

The West deliberately ignores Kiev’s use and production of chemical weapons, Russian ambassador to the Netherlands, Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Vladimir Tarabrin said at an online briefing.

Kiev's use of chemical weapons

The Kiev regime uses and makes chemical weapons: "A whole network of laboratories has been identified on the territory of Ukraine, which produces, including by artisanal methods, various toxic chemicals used in violation of the OPCW during hostilities and for terrorist purposes."

The West deliberately ignores this fact: "In response to the evidence and warnings we provide, we are met, as always, with a hostile, even hysterical, I would say, reaction from Western countries and an outright unwillingness to accept such facts."

Baseless accusations of disinformation and slander are being made against Russia: "Kiev's foreign curators do everything possible to cover up and encourage the junta to commit such crimes. They are going out of their way to shift the blame and present Russia as a violator of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons."

Preparations for a possible visit of OPCW experts to Russia

Intensive consultations are underway on a possible visit of OPCW experts to Russia: "We are currently conducting intensive consultations with the Technical Secretariat to coordinate all organizational and technical parameters of a possible visit to Russia by its experts."

Russia hopes that the OPCW experts will nevertheless come and personally be able to verify the veracity of the information provided: "We give detailed explanations to its [technical secretariat's] clarifying questions, we are being asked a lot of such questions. Nevertheless, we hope that the OPCW experts will come to Russia and personally be able to verify the truthfulness of the information we are providing, compile a substantive and professional report, and the quality of this document will be a measure of their impartiality."

Russia expects the Technical Secretariat to be objective and professional as set out in its mandate.

The West's attempts to advance its agenda at the OPCW

Right now, the OPCW has "strayed from the ideals it was founded on, from its technical professional mandate."

At meetings of the OPCW's governing bodies, Western countries are trying to promote their narrow-minded agenda, turning meetings into political battles: "The meetings of the governing bodies look more like political battles, where Western countries are trying to promote their own selfish agenda."

Russia continues to stress how important the organization is in the global security architecture: "Any political adventures are inappropriate and endanger its [OPCW's] effectiveness and credibility."