Russia-Ukraine war: NATO chief warns Russia may use chemical weapons against Ukraine

As the Russian-Ukraine intensifies, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned on Sunday, March 13, that Russia may use chemical weapons against Ukraine. He added that such a move would be a war crime. Earlier, Moscow accused the US of secretly operating chemical and biological weapons laboratories in Ukraine, which Stoltenberg refuted.

As per a report by German newspaper, Welt am Sonntag, Stoltenberg said that in recent days they have heard claims about chemical and biological weapons and that the Kremlin is trying to justify what could not be justified. The NATO chief further stated that they must be watchful because it is likely that Russia may plan a chemical weapon operation. He further claimed that despite the Ukrainian people's valiant resistance against the Russian invasion, the coming days are likely to bring much more pain.

Stoltenberg dismisses proposal for a no-fly zone over Ukraine

Earlier, Stoltenberg had dismissed the proposal for a no-fly zone over Ukraine to be imposed and enforced, stating that this could result in a direct confrontation with Russia and an escalation of the situation. He further said that this battle must be brought to a close rather than allowed to continue. He urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end this war and send all of his forces back and commit to diplomacy.

Meanwhile, on Friday, March 11, at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Stoltenberg claimed that NATO is providing concrete help to Ukraine and added that NATO has been supporting Ukraine since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea. He also said that numerous NATO allies have trained Ukrainian soldiers and also praised Ukraine's leadership and people who are fighting with the Russian forces for over two weeks.

The NATO Secretary-General also said that they are imposing unprecedented sanctions on Russia which is harming its economy, putting more pressure on Putin. He added that while no one wants these sanctions to be implemented because they are costly to the entire world, including the countries imposing them, they have an obligation to react when they see Russia blatantly violating international law by invading a sovereign country like Ukraine without provocation.

(Image: AP)