“would trigger a response in kind”. “We would respond if he uses it,” he said.
Concerns of the use of chemical weapons in the war-torn nation has once again triggered concern in the West after unconfirmed reports were shared on social media about a possible chemical agent being used against the city of Mariupol, on the south-eastern coat of Ukraine. Responding to the reports, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the UK is working urgently to verify the details, adding that any confirmed use of chemical weapons would be a “callous escalation” of the war.
“We are working urgently with partners to verify details,” she said on Twitter on Monday night. “Any use of such weapons would be a callous escalation in this conflict and we will hold Putin and his regime to account.” Her comments were prompted by an unconfirmed claim made by a Ukrainian battalion battling to defend Mariupol that a poisonous substance was used by a Russian drone against the city, although there has been no independent verification of the allegations.
In his nightly video address on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also warned that such outlawed weapons could be deployed by Moscow against his country but did not say they had already done so. “We treat this with the utmost seriousness,” he said. “I would like to remind world leaders that the possible use of chemical weapons by the Russian military has already been discussed.”
US officials have also commented on the matter, with the Press Secretary for the US Department of Defense, John Kirby, saying Washington was aware of the reports. “We cannot confirm at this time and will continue to monitor the situation closely,” he said. “These reports, if true, are deeply concerning and reflective of concerns that we have had about Russia’s potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine.”
