UNITED NATIONS — In a statement at a UN Security Council (UNSC) briefing, Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative, Dmitry Polyanskiy, sharply criticized the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for its handling of the Syrian chemical weapons issue. He accused Western powers, particularly the United States, of using the OPCW to target Syria and Russia with unfounded accusations.
Polyanskiy highlighted Syria’s ongoing cooperation with the OPCW despite facing continued allegations of non-compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). He specifically rejected reports related to the 2018 Douma incident, labeling them as staged, and criticized the OPCW’s investigative approach, particularly the use of the “Investigation and Identification Team” (IIT), which he claimed bypasses established protocols.
The Russian diplomat also condemned the Western missile strikes in Syria in 2018, which he argued were unlawful and destroyed potential evidence. Polyanskiy further accused Western nations of ignoring evidence of chemical weapon use by Ukrainian forces, accusing them of applying double standards in their approach to chemical disarmament.
Polyanskiy concluded by rejecting all accusations against Syria and Russia, warning that continued manipulation by Western powers would undermine global cooperation on chemical weapons non-proliferation.