PARIS, France – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that Russia could use chemical weapons in Ukraine and called on the West to impose strong sanctions on Moscow that could deter even talk of the use of such weapons.
There were confirmed reports on Monday suggesting that chemical weapons were used in the besieged southern Ukrainian port of Mariupol.
‘We treat this with the utmost seriousness’, Zelenskiy said late on Monday. He did not say chemical weapons had already been used.
‘I would like to remind world leaders that the possible use of chemical weapons by the Russian military has already been discussed. And Already at that time it meant that it was necessary to react to the Russian aggression much harsher and faster’.
Petro Antryuschenko, an aid to the mayor of Mariupol, wrote on his Telegram channel reports about a chemical attack had not been confirmed and that he expected to provide details and clarifications later.
The Russian invasion, which has killed thousands and displaced millions, had shifted from the gates of Kyiv to the east of Ukraine, with a huge offensive expected there. The European Union said on Monday that more sanction on Russia are an option.
SAS 24 NEWS 