Russia Urges US to Follow Suit by Destroying Chemical Weapons Arsenal

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Russia calls on the United States to follow its lead and eliminate its chemical weapons stockpiles, Russian Deputy Representative on Disarmament at the UN First Committee Konstantin Vorontsov said on Wednesday.

"In 2017, three years ahead of the deadline set by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, we destroyed one of the world's largest chemical weapons arsenals," Vorontsov said. "We urge the United States to follow the example we've set. The United States has all the necessary financial and technological capacity to eliminate outstanding stockpiles of toxic substances."

In May, the Russian embassy in Washington urged the United States to destroy its stockpiles of chemical weapons as required by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

The mission recalled that Russia completely destroyed its stockpiles of chemical weapons in 2017, which was verified by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The mission urged American society to question why Washington is delaying the elimination of its chemical weapons stockpiles, unlike other countries.

The CWC went into effect in 1997. As of now, it has 193 states-parties. The CWC prohibits the use, development, production, stockpiling, and transfer of chemical weapons and agents to other countries. The OPCW was established along with the CWC to implement and oversee the convention.