PRESS RELEASES AND NEWS
13.04.2022
Embassy statement regarding new accusations against Russia, 13 April 2022Due to ongoing reports by British media on the possibility of Russian and DPR military using chemical weapons against Azov Battalion’s formations of the Ukrainian Army in Mariupol, the Embassy states the following.
Accusations of Russian military as well as the DPR and LPR forces using “unknown” chemical substances in the course of the special military operation in Ukraine are strictly aimed at creating the necessary propaganda effect and are not substantiated by a single piece of evidence.
Russia has destroyed all of its chemical weapons stockpiles in 2017 and has fulfilled its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in full.
The Russian Armed Forces do not and cannot have any chemical warfare agents at their disposal.
At the same time the Russian Ministry of Defence has obtained confirmed data that Ukrainian radicals are planning further provocations with the use of chemicals the origin of which is not in doubt.
To this day, the United States remains the only State Party to the CWC that has not fulfilled its international commitments, which poses a real military threat.
13 April 2022, 12:30
LATEST EVENTS
I am glad to see you. My visits here are not frequent, but they are regular. And each time, I feel energised. Tomorrow, the eleven-formers will have to choose their path in life. It will not be long before the rest of you (the eight- to ten-formers) will also find yourselves at the same threshold. It is important to understand the substance of your life, the future substance of our society’s life within the framework of the professional trends that will be a factor in your employment and careers. In addition to my meetings with students at schools, I regularly meet with MGIMO students. They keep those engaging in practical politics on their toes. Policy-making should be approached in such a way as to enable our successors to see prospects and understand that the course mapped by their predecessors meets their interests.
Recent accusations against Russia of creating a threat of a global food crisis by not letting cargo ships with grain out of Odessa and other Ukrainian ports have nothing to do with reality. The situation in the Black Sea is at the centre of attention of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), headquartered here in London.
Representatives of the collective West members are tripping over each other as they scramble to accuse Russia of undermining global food security. The G7 has issued a special statement in this regard. To be sure, we responded.
The situation at the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) has been deteriorating. The NATO and EU members of the CBSS have turned their backs on equitable dialogue and the principles upon which this regional Baltic organisation was built, and have consistently turned it into an anti-Russia political tool. Unlawful and discriminatory decisions are approved in violation of the consensus rule. Russia has been “excluded” from participating in CBSS work and projects. Belarus’ observer status with the CBSS has been “suspended.”
On Victory Day Ambassador Andrei Kelin laid a wreath to the Soviet War Memorial in London. The ceremony was also attended by other CIS countries’ Ambassadors, members of the Russian Speaking Community Council and the Russian diaspora in UK. Following the ceremony the Ambassador gave an interview to Russian media.
President of Russia – Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Federation Armed Forces Vladimir Putin attended a military parade marking the 77th anniversary of Victory in the 1941–1945 Great Patriotic War. Overall, 11,000 personnel and 131 units of military equipment were engaged in the parade.
An announcement made on April 25 to the effect that the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor’s Office will join the Joint Investigation Group (JIG) comprised of Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine and created under the auspices of Eurojust has come to our attention.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We held substantive talks during which we discussed many issues that are facing the UN. We continue working on Syria and Libya. Neither must we slacken attention to the Middle East settlement. It is one of the oldest conflicts in the world, which is moving ever further away from its solution, contrary to the UN Security Council resolutions.
The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation has taken note of UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey’s statement that it would “not necessarily be a problem” if British-donated weapons are used to hit targets on Russian territory. We would like to stress that London’s direct instigation of the regime in Kiev to commit such actions, should these attempts materialize, will instantly entail our proportionate response.
Maria Zakharova: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who recently went to Kiev, must be aware of the developments with Her Majesty’s subjects. He is sure to reply, isn’t he?
all messages  | 
Tweet Follow @russianembassy