THE HAGUE: Russia will make every effort in 2026 to prevent the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) from turning in...
THE HAGUE: Russia will make every effort in 2026 to prevent the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) from turning into a geopolitical instrument of the West, Vladimir Tarabrin, Russia’s permanent representative to the organization, said in an interview with TASS on the results of the year.
"As for the tasks facing us, at their core they remain unchanged - defending and promoting Russia’s interests. Together with our like-minded partners, we will make every effort to prevent the OPCW from definitively turning into a tool for advancing the geopolitical ambitions of Western countries," he said, commenting on Moscow’s priorities at the organisation in 2026. In particular, Tarabrin said Russia intends to continue informing OPCW member states about Kiev’s use of toxic chemicals and riot control agents.
"Issues of bringing the organisation’s activities into strict compliance with the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention, restoring its independent technical status, and returning to the principles of mutual respect for the interests of all member states and consensus-based decision making are becoming increasingly relevant," the diplomat added. In his view, in this regard, the outcome of the work will largely depend on the new OPCW Director-General, Swiss diplomat Sabrina Dallafior, elected in November 2025. Tarabrin emphasized that Moscow is prepared for "serious engagement" with her.
On November 24, 2025, Russian Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Kirill Lysogorsky said that the OPCW did not consider any initiatives that do not align with Western interests. As an example, Lysogorsky recalled how Iran’s proposal to discuss safety of civilian chemical facilities was rejected without debate during the 67th OPCW council special session.
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