Russia hits US for ‘eroding’ international disarmament

THE Russian Embassy in Manila has accused the US government of “eroding international disarmament and non-proliferation architecture” when it imposed new sanctions against Moscow.

In a statement, the embassy also accused the US government of demonstrating “a disdain for the international legal system in its desire to use existing multilateral arms control mechanisms to advance its own political agenda.”

The embassy cited several examples of Washington’s destructive behavior including its “sudden unilateral refusal to join the legally binding 2001 protocol on strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention

monitoring system in the CTBT context while at the same time working to put it to use for its own interests.”

Aside from these, the US government has blocked “work on the development of legally binding agreements on the prevention of the arms race in outer space and withdrawn from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to resolve the Iranian nuclear program issue, in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that approved the JCPOA.”

The embassy said Russia has repeatedly con- with its international obligations. GS

“Any attempt to cast doubt on this is unacceptable. We intend to continue systematic work to strengthen both the CWC and the OPCW, as well as the entire international legal system for arms control and non-proliferation, which took the international community sig-

We urge Washington to abandon its irresponsible line which would result in further erosion of this,” the statement said.

On August 8, the US announced imminent imposition of new sanctions against Russia on the basis of the US national law on Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination.

Russia was accused of having used chemical weapons in connection with the so-called Skripal case “although no one has yet been able to provide any evidence of this, and the British side, despite our repeated requests, refuses to cooperate in the investigation of the March 4 Salisbury incident.”

“The US is keen on the complete elimination of Russia’s arsenal of chemical weapons,” the statement added.