Chemical Weapons Convention

October 17, 2025 | Andrea Stricker |

To Distract From Its Own Violations, Russia Accuses Ukraine Anew of Manufacturing Chemical Weapons

Russia has made fresh claims that Ukraine is manufacturing chemical weapons, even though every past claim has turned out to be groundless. Moscow leveled the new accusation at a meeting of the Organization...

July 16, 2025 | Andrea Stricker |

Syria Acts To Adhere to Chemical Weapons Convention, While Russia Doubles Down on Non-Compliance

Syria has taken key steps to eliminate its chemical weapons assets — but Russia has actually used its own stockpiles against Ukraine. That was the conclusion of the Organization for the Prohibition of...

April 11, 2025 | Orde Kittrie, Andrea Stricker, Behnam Ben Taleblu

What President Trump Must Demand to Eliminate Iran’s Nuclear Threat

The United States and Iran are set to hold landmark talks on April 12, President Donald Trump announced earlier in the week, just weeks after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei refused the...

March 14, 2025 | Orde Kittrie, Andrea Stricker, Behnam Ben Taleblu

Iran’s Nuclear Disarmament

The Only Deal That Protects U.S. and Allied Security

January 10, 2025 | Andrea Stricker |

Trump should get tough again on chemical weapons states

The media has largely ignored a disturbing trend: Russia is openly using chemical weapons against Ukraine. Ukraine’s army support services say Russia has carried out 4,800 chemical...

December 11, 2024 | Andrea Stricker |

Israel does world a service by hitting Assad’s chemical weapons caches

In the wake of the Assad regime’s collapse, Israel did the world a major service. Over the past few days, the Israeli Air Force struck dozens of alleged Syrian chemical weapons...

November 19, 2024 | Andrea Stricker |

OPCW Investigation Confirms Russia’s Likely Use of Chemical Weapons Against Ukraine

Russia’s consistent denials that its military forces have deployed illegal chemical weapons in Ukraine were dealt a serious blow on November 18, when the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical...

October 18, 2024 | Andrea Stricker |

OPCW Must Act Against Russia’s Chemical Weapons Program

In The Hague last week, member states of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) failed to act against Moscow’s use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops. As a result,...

July 12, 2024 | Andrea Stricker, Anthony Ruggiero

OPCW Visits Ukraine After Accusations of Russian Chemical Weapons Use

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) visited Ukraine last week to deliver critical chemical weapons detection equipment and training. The visit — following accusations by Kyiv...

May 10, 2024 | Andrea Stricker, Anthony Ruggiero

Washington Accuses Russia of Chemical Weapons Attacks in Ukraine

The United States last week accused Russia of using chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops and sanctioned 12 Russian entities and individuals associated with Vladimir Putin’s ongoing chemical weapons...

February 20, 2024 | Andrea Stricker |

For Russia, a Year of Setbacks at the OPCW

Yet Member States Still Have Not Imposed Consequences for Moscow’s Chemical Weapons Use

December 1, 2023 | Andrea Stricker, Anthony Ruggiero

Ukraine Defeats Russia in Historic OPCW Election

Ukraine was elected this week to the 41-member Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), defeating Russia and unseating Moscow for the first time in the OPCW’s...

November 16, 2023 | |

French Court Issues International Arrest Warrant for Syria’s Assad

French judges issued an international arrest warrant for Bashar al-Assad on November 15, citing his use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians. The court also issued warrants...

July 10, 2023 | Andrea Stricker, Anthony Ruggiero

OPCW Meeting Sets Up Critical Opportunity to Sideline Russia 

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will convene this week for a thrice-yearly meeting of its Executive Council (EC). The 41-nation policy-making body has a chance to hold Russia...

May 25, 2023 | Andrea Stricker |

Russia and Partners Block Condemnation of Chemical Weapons Treaty Violations

The Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) held its fifth review conference last week to assess implementation of the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and set priorities...

May 15, 2023 | Andrea Stricker, Anthony Ruggiero

Statement to the Fifth Review Conference on the Chemical Weapons Convention (RC-5)

To ensure peace in the days ahead, there must be no impunity for Russia’s violations and its most grave threats to security. 

May 12, 2023 | Anthony Ruggiero, Andrea Stricker

It’s time to hold Russia accountable for its use of chemical weapons

The film “Navalny” won the Academy Award in March for best documentary feature. The picture details the Kremlin’s 2020 apparent attempt to assassinate Alexei Navalny using a chemical nerve agent...

May 10, 2023 | Andrea Stricker |

Two Years On, Syria’s Suspension from the OPCW Was Beneficial

Member States’ Next Act Should be Suspending Russia

December 16, 2022 | David Adesnik, John Hardie

FDD’s Biden Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: The Year in Review

November 28, 2022 | Anthony Ruggiero, Andrea Stricker

Statement to the Conference of States Parties (CSP-27) Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) November 29-December 2, 2022

Mr./Madam Chairperson, Director-General, Distinguished ambassadors and delegates, It3 is an honor to address the Twenty-Seventh Session of the Conference of States Parties of the Chemical Weapons Convention...