“The situation in Ukraine has raised again the real threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons,” said OPCW chief Fernando Arias.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has increased the threat of using weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons, the head of the world’s toxic weapons control agency said today.
THE Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) continues to closely monitor the situation in Ukraine, its head Fernando Arias said during the regulator’s annual meeting.
“The situation in Ukraine has raised again the real threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons,” Arias said during the meeting at the agency’s headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands.
“This has exacerbated existing tensions to such an extent that the unity of the international community on common global challenges linked to international security and peace cannot be taken for granted,” he added.
International disarmament organizations such as the OPCW, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, “have now become sites of confrontation and disagreement,” Arias said.
Threats and allegations regarding the possible use of nuclear, chemical, biological weapons have been exchanged since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February, but without any evidence that these were deployed.
Arias reminded Russia and Ukraine that they are among the 193 countries that have “officially and voluntarily pledged forever not to under any circumstances develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, transfer or use chemical weapons.”
He said the OPCW “continues to closely monitor this serious situation and remains in contact with the permanent missions of the Russian Federation and Ukraine”.
The OPCW has provided Ukraine, at its request, with training in chemical attack first aid and chemical leak detection, Arias said.
Referring to Syria, Arias underlined that the regime in Damascus, an ally of Russia, is showing “serious failures to comply” with the demands of the OPCW.
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