United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley on Wednesday blamed Russia for using chemical weapons to poison an ex-spy in the United Kingdom.
She described the attack as an “assassination attempt” by one U.N. Security Council member, involving the use of “military grade nerve agent,” conducted on the territory of another U.N. Security Council member.
“If we don’t take immediate concrete measures to address this now, Salisbury will not be the last place we see chemical weapons used,” Haley said during a Security Council meeting. “They could be used here in New York, or in cities of any country that sits on this council. This is a defining moment.”
“The credibility of this council will not survive if we fail to hold Russia accountable.”
She urged Russia to “come clean about its own chemical weapons program” and cooperate with the United Kingdom’s investigation into the incident. The March 4 poisoning left former double agent Sergei Skripal, as well as his daughter Yulia, hospitalized.
But Haley stressed that this chemical weapons attack is not an “isolated incident.” She linked the poisoning to Russia’s efforts in Syria to “provide cover” for leader Bashar al-Assad, who has repeatedly used chemical weapons against the Syrian people.
“Russia failed to ensure Syria destroyed its chemical weapons program. Russia killed the joint investigative mechanism when it found Assad liable for chemical attacks,” she said. “Russia used its veto to shield Assad five times last year.”
Haley continued: “If the Russian government stopped using chemical weapons to assassinate its enemies, and if the Russian government stopped helping its Syrian ally to use chemical weapons to kill Syrian children, and if Russia cooperated with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons by turning over all information related to this nerve agent, we would stop talking about them.”
“We take no pleasure in having to constantly criticize Russia,” she said. “But we need Russia to stop giving us so many reasons to do so.”
