Joseph Manso
U.S. And Allies 'Carefully Monitoring' Russia's Potential Chemical Weapons Use in Ukraine
The U.S. and its allies are 'carefully monitoring' the situation in terms of Russia's potential use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, a key U.S, diplomat said in response to TURAN's questions on Thursday.
Washington has seen reports of possible use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, but cannot confirm them.
Any use by Russia of weapons of mass destruction "will be met with a consequential response," Ambassador Joseph Manso, U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), said, echoing President Joe Biden's previous comments on this matter.
Ambassador Manso was speaking to reporters during a special online briefing organized by the State Department's Brussels Media Hub.
Asked by TURAN's Washington correspondent for elaboration on Washington's warnings of "consequential response" against Russian potential nuclear attack, the ambassador said that the question "left deliberately open, because the last thing we want to do is signal precisely what we’re going to do."
"... You have to understand: if the President of the United States has said something, then that’s our policy. So I in no way am going to elaborate on the President’s intentions," he said.
He went on to add, "I can say a little bit about what we do specifically at the OPCW. So what we’re working to do is to ensure that the Ukrainians have the necessary defensive equipment to promptly detect such an attack, to protect themselves and civilian populations, to have trained first responders to respond in the case of such an attack"
"So we want to make sure that Ukraine is prepared in the eventuality that the Russians were to use chemical weapons," Ambassador Manso concluded.
Alex Raufoglu
Washington D.C.
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- Finance
- 2 December 2022 11:32
Politics
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On Saturday, December 7th, a session of the "Musavat" Party's Majlis took place. During the session, the party leader, Isa Gambar, presented a report on the current socio-political situation in the country. The Majlis also approved a decision by the party’s board to grant district organizations of "Musavat" the authority to nominate candidates for the municipal elections scheduled for January 29, 2025. The party outlined its main areas of activity for 2025. A statement was issued on the human rights situation in the country.
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The human rights organization Freedom Now has joined calls to end the pressure on independent media in Azerbaijan.
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The press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the arrests of Meydan TV employees. A statement of the organization on RSF’s X (formerly Twitter) account said: "Reporters Without Borders condemns these new arrests and calls for their immediate release, as well as the release of 13 other journalists held in disgraceful conditions on trumped-up charges."
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"I was deeply concerned to learn of the arrest of journalists working with Meydan TV. A free and independent press is a vital component of any democracy. Journalists must be able to report on issues without the fear of arrest, intimidation, or violence." This statement was posted by the UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Fergus Auld, on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday.
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