Russian President Vladimir Putin has faced a new setback that went unnoticed on the international stage, a new report says. Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) Highlights.
In a blow to Russia’s influence and prestige, member states of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) elected Ukraine to one of three vacant seats in the OPCW, as well as removing it from its 41-member Executive Council. Russia was expelled for the first time in history. Eastern European group.
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The report titled “A year of setbacks in the OPCW for Russia” The challenge for the United States and its allies going forward is to hold Russia accountable for its violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the treaty that established the OPCW to ensure its implementation.
Russian opposition activist and blogger Alexei Navalny speaks at a large anti-Putin rally in Moscow on December 24, 2011. (Photo by Konstantin Zabrazin/Getty Images)
Russia’s continued possession and stockpiling of chemical weapons has received far too little attention, the report claims. Russia has also openly attempted to assassinate its enemies with chemical weapons, including Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in a Siberian prison colony and was poisoned multiple times in the past as President Putin’s main political opponent. However, it remains a member of the OPCW.
“The tragic death of Mr. Navalny should galvanize action by Western governments across international organizations. The ideal starting point is the OPCW, which punishes President Putin for the first chemical weapons attack on Mr. Navalny. “This is true,” said author Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the FDD Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program. he spoke to Fox News Digital about the report.
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Critics say Navalny’s tragic death is evidence to the world that Russia is in flagrant violation of international norms and laws regarding the open use of chemical weapons.
People lay flowers in honor of Alexei Navalny at the Wall of Sorrow memorial to victims of political repression in Moscow on Friday, February 16. (AP/Dmitry Serebryakov)
The OPCW calls for serious consequences and accountability for Russia’s continued stockpile of chemical weapons, its use of the nerve agent Novichok in an assassination attempt on a critic of President Vladimir Putin, and its threat to use chemical weapons in Ukraine. The report claims that
Stricker argues that all countries interested in punishing Russia for invading Ukraine should also strive to set aside Russia’s voting capacity and leadership role in other international organizations.
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“This is a means not only to curb Russian influence within key organizations, but also to spread misinformation about what Russia truly values: its compliance with international commitments. “It would limit the shield from liability,” she said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during his annual State of the State address at Manezh on Wednesday, April 21, 2021 in Moscow. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlyanichenko)
A key opportunity for the international community to hold Russia accountable will be at the Council’s July 2024 meeting, which is likely to be its first meeting since Russia’s expulsion from the Council. The report argues that member states should use the Syria incident as a model and, if Russia does not comply, member states should move to end Russia’s privileges in the OPCW.
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“As a condition of Russia’s continued participation in the OPCW, they must firmly insist on the complete and verifiable elimination of President Vladimir Putin’s chemical weapons program,” the report states.
