MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia presided over the destruction of his country’s last declared chemical weapons on Wednesday, describing the elimination as a “historic event” and complaining that the United States has failed to purge its own chemical arsenal.

The carefully choreographed event, broadcast on state television, cast Mr. Putin as a peacemaker and determined defender of international law. It seemed designed to offset the reputation he has acquired for belligerence and the flouting of international norms amid Russia’s military interventions in Ukraine in 2014 and in Syria.

As has become customary at public appearances by the Russian president, Mr. Putin used the occasion to take a dig at Washington. He suggested that it was playing a devious double game by pushing back the American goal of eliminating its chemical arms, which is not scheduled to happen for six years.

The United States, he said, “is unfortunately not observing the deadline for destroying chemical weapons” based on treaty obligations. “They have pushed the date back three times, citing lack of budget funding. Frankly, this sounds strange, but whatever.”</s>Russia has completed the massive task of destroying its Cold War-era chemical weapons stockpiles, winning praise from an international chemical weapons watchdog.

Russian officials reported the destruction of the country’s last remaining artillery projectiles filled with a toxic agent to President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. The work took place at the Kizner facility in the Urals, one of five facilities built in Russia to destroy chemical weapons

Ahmet Uzumcu, director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, commended Russia for achieving a “major milestone” with the destruction of its chemical arsenals.

The OPCW oversees global efforts to eliminate chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention that took effect in 1997. It says over 96 percent of the stockpiles declared by the conventions 192 participants have been destroyed.</s>Moscow (AP) — Russia on Wednesday completed the task of destroying its huge, Cold War-era chemical weapons stockpiles, winning praise from an international chemical weapons watchdog.

Russian officials reported the destruction of the country’s last remaining artillery projectile filled with VX toxic agent to President Vladimir Putin. The work took place at the Kizner facility in the Urals, one of seven facilities built in Russia to destroy chemical weapons in an effort that has spanned two decades and cost billions of dollars.

Ahmet Uzumcu, director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, commended Russia for achieving a “major milestone” with the destruction of its chemical arsenals.

“I congratulate Russia and I commend all of their experts who were involved for their professionalism and dedication,” he said in a statement.

The OPCW oversees global efforts to eliminate stockpiles under the Chemical Weapons Convention that took effect in 1997. It says over 96 percent of the weapons declared by the convention’s 192 participants have been destroyed.

Putin noted that Russia wrapped up the destruction of its chemical weapons stockpiles ahead of schedule, adding that the effort underlined the nation’s commitment to nonproliferation efforts.

“It’s truly a historic event, given the huge size of the chemical arsenals inherited from Soviet times, big enough to entirely destroy life on Earth several times,” Putin said in a video call with officials in Kizner. “This is a huge step toward making the world of today more secure and balanced.”

In a shot at the United States, Putin criticized it for lagging behind in dismantling its chemical arsenals. “We expect the U.S., as well as other nations, to fulfill all their obligations,” he said.

Russia launched the program of dismantling its chemical weapons stockpiles when it was still reeling from post-Soviet economic meltdown in the 1990s. It relied on the U.S. and other Western aid in the early phases of the program, but later came to fund the effort from its own coffers as the Russian economy rebounded.

Russia has spent more than 290 billion rubles (more than $5 billion) to destroy the nearly 40,000 metric tons of chemical weapons it possessed, Economics Minister Denis Manturov said, according to the state RIA Novosti news agency.</s>MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) announced that Russia was destroying its last chemical weapons, hailing the move as a “historic event” and accusing the United States of not following suit.

The world’s global chemical weapons watchdog praised the step as a “major milestone”, ridding Russia of one of the last vestiges of the Cold War.

“Today the last chemical ammunition from Russia’s chemical weapon stockpile will be destroyed,” Putin said in televised remarks.

“This is truly a historic event, taking into account the huge amount we inherited from Soviet times that was enough—as experts believed—to destroy all living things several times over.

“This is a huge step towards making the modern world more balanced and safe.”

The last of the Russian arsenal was destroyed at the Kizner chemical weapons destruction facility in the Udmurt region.

Six other destruction facilities had completed their work and were closed between 2005 and 2015.

The Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), praised Russia for sticking to its international obligations.

“The completion of the verified destruction of Russia’s chemical weapons program is a major milestone in the achievement of the goals of the Chemical Weapons Convention,” said Ahmet Uzumcu, head of the global watchdog.

Putin also used the speech to needle Washington, saying the United States was not adhering to its international duties in full.

The US “unfortunately is not carrying out its obligations when it comes to the timeframe of destroying chemical weapons—they pushed back the liquidation timeframe already three times,” Putin said.

The Russian leader said Washington had postponed its plans to destroy its chemical weapons citing insufficient funds, which he said “looked a little bit strange.”

“We expect the United States to carry out all of its obligations it has taken upon itself as part of international agreements just like other countries do,” Putin added.

Some 96 percent of all the world’s declared stockpile of chemical weapons have now been destroyed, the OPCW said.

Russia and the United States amassed huge stocks of chemical weapons during the Cold War, but had agreed to destroy them after joining the 1997 convention by April 2012.

Washington said it would complete its destruction of the weapons by 2023.

According to the OPCW, the United States is now the last member state of the Convention on Chemical Weapons to have declared that it still possesses chemical weapons.</s>MOSCOW, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday announced that Russia would destroy its last chemical weapons, hailing the move as a “historic event” and accusing the United States of not following suit.

“Today the last chemical ammunition from Russia’s chemical weapon stockpile will be destroyed,” Putin said in televised remarks.

“This is truly a historic event, taking into account the huge amount we inherited from Soviet times that was enough — as experts believed — to destroy all living things many times over,” he added. “This is a huge step towards making the modern world more balanced and safe.”

The Russian president also used the speech to needle Washington, saying the United States was not carrying out its international duties in full.

The US “unfortunately is not carrying out its obligations when it comes to the time frame of destroying chemical weapons — they pushed back the liquidation time frame already three times,” Putin was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

Putin said Washington had postponed its plans to destroy its chemical weapons citing insufficient funds, which he said “looked a little bit strange.”

“Well okay, we expect the United States to carry out all of its obligations it has taken upon itself as part of international agreements just like other countries do,” he added.

Russia and the United States amassed huge stocks of chemical weapons during the Cold War, but had agreed to destroy them after joining the 1997 convention by April 2012.

However, both countries said they needed more time, with Washington saying it would complete destruction by 2023.

The world’s global chemical weapons watchdog hailed the destruction of the weapons as a “major milestone.”

“The completion of the verified destruction of Russia’s chemical weapons programme is a major milestone in the achievement of the goals of the Chemical Weapons Convention,” said Ahmet Uzumcu, head of the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

He also praised Russian officials for “their professionalism and dedication,” adding experts from the Nobel Peace Prize-wining organization had “verified the destruction.”

The last of the Russian arsenal was “destroyed at the Kizner chemical weapons destruction facility in the Udmurt Republic,” the OPCW said.

Six other destruction facilities had completed their work and were closed between 2005 and 2015.

Some 96 percent of all the world’s declared stockpile of chemical weapons have now been destroyed, the OPCW added.</s>Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the destruction of the last chemical munitions in the country a “historic event.”

The last kilogram of Russia’s 40,000-tonne stockpile of chemical warfare agents, which was contained in two artillery shells, was destroyed on Wednesday at the Kizner facility in Udmurtia.

Attending the event via video link, Putin said that it is “a huge step towards” a more balanced and secure world, stressing that Russia had held the largest chemical stockpiles in the world. Putin also said Russia was working closely with partners to save mankind from the threat of the use and spread of chemical weapons.

“In this regard, I would like to recall the key role of our country in solving the problem of chemical weapons in Syria,” he said.

The president pointed out that Moscow is fulfilling all of its obligations under the non-proliferation treaties and expects that other countries, including the United States, will follow in Russia’s footsteps.

“As is known, Russia was the largest holder and possessor of chemical weapons, and so far the United States, which unfortunately does not fulfill its obligations on the timing of the destruction of chemical weapons, has already three times postponed the destruction on the pretext of lack of funds, which sounds very strange,” he pointed out.

The elimination of chemical materials was conducted under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), an arms control treaty that prohibits the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons. The treaty, which came into force in 1997, has been signed by 192 states as of April 2016.

Russia joined the CWC in 1997 and was initially expected to destroy its chemical weapons stockpiles by December 31, 2018.</s>WASHINGTON, September 28 (Sputnik) — The United States is determined to destroy its entire declared chemical weapons stockpile by 2023, a State Department spokesperson told Sputnik.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that the United States is not meeting its obligations on eliminating chemical weapons and has delayed it thrice citing lack of funds, yet Russia expects to fulfill its international obligations.

“The U.S. government continues to focus on destroying the remaining portion of the chemical weapons stockpile stored in Pueblo, Colorado, and Richmond, Kentucky,” the spokesperson said on Wednesday. “The United States remains committed to the complete destruction of its declared chemical weapons stockpile by the end of 2023.”

The last portion of Russia’s 40,000 tons of stockpiles of chemical warfare agents, which was contained in two artillery shells, was destroyed earlier on Wednesday at the Kizner facility in Udmurtia.

Putin thanked on Wednesday the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for assistance in eliminating chemical weapons in the country.

The Russian president also expressed hope that the OPCW would continue its work with the international community in order to make the world a more stable, reliable and safe place.

In turn, OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu congratulated Russia for the total elimination of stockpiles of chemical weapons in the country, calling it “an important achievement.”

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the first multilateral agreement in history that stipulates the elimination of an entire class of weapons of mass destruction during a fixed period. The CWC has an unlimited term and aims to eliminate chemical weapons and ban their production and use. The Convention has been signed by 192 states to date.</s>Unlike Russia, the US is not observing its own pledge to dispose of its chemical weapons arsenal, the President Vladimir Putin said ahead of the destruction of the last batch of Russian chemical weapons on Wednesday.

“Russia strictly complies with its international obligations, including those related to non-proliferation and reductions of weapons of mass destruction,” Putin said.

“Historically Russia was one of the largest holders of chemical weapons and the US remains one. Unfortunately the US is not observing the deadline for disposing of its chemical weapons. They have pushed the date back three times, citing a lack of funding. This, frankly, sounds strange,” he added.

Putin’s criticism of the US came as the Russian chemical weapons disposal plant near the village of Kizner, Udmurtia, in the Urals destroyed the last remains of the Russian arsenal.

The president said Russia’s example in delivering on its promise to destroy its arsenal, which was fully met on Wednesday long before the initial deadline, should encourage other nations to follow suit.

Russia began destroying its chemical weapons arsenal in 1996, shortly before ratifying its accession to the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the watchdog of the convention.

At the time Russia’s stockpile of chemical weapons was declared as 40,000 tons, with the US possessing a similar amount.

When the US ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention Treaty in 1997, it agreed to destroy all of its chemical weapons by April 29, 2012. It managed to dispose of about 90 percent of its stockpile by that deadline.

At the moment there are two sites in America still storing chemical weapons. The Pueblo Chemical Depot is expected to complete the destruction by 2019, while the Blue Grass Army Depot is scheduled to start its stockpile’s destruction in 2020.</s>MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia presided over the destruction of his country’s last declared chemical weapons on Wednesday, describing the elimination as a “historic event” and complaining that the United States has failed to purge its own chemical arsenal.

The carefully choreographed event, broadcast on state television, cast Mr. Putin as a peacemaker and determined defender of international law. It seemed designed to offset the reputation he has acquired for belligerence and the flouting of international norms amid Russia’s military interventions in Ukraine in 2014 and in Syria.

As has become customary at public appearances by the Russian president, Mr. Putin used the occasion to take a dig at Washington and to suggest that it was playing a devious double game.

The United States, he said, “is unfortunately not observing the deadline for destroying chemical weapons” based on treaty obligations. “They have pushed the date back three times, citing lack of budget funding. Frankly, this sounds strange, but whatever.”

There was no immediate response from American officials in Washington to Mr. Putin’s remarks.

Both Russia and the United States — which hold the world’s biggest stockpiles — were supposed to destroy all of their chemical weapons by 2012 under an international agreement, the Chemical Weapons Convention, that they each signed in 1993 and which went into force in 1997. The final deadline for the elimination of chemical weapons was initially set for 2007. But with neither of the two countries close to meeting that goal, the deadline was extended to 2012.</s>* Portable system can destroy 25 tonnes of toxic agents per day

AMSTERDAM/WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The Pentagon is suggesting the world’s chemical weapons watchdog uses a U.S.-made mobile destruction unit in Syria to neutralise the country’s toxic stockpile, officials told Reuters.

It gave a briefing on the unit on Tuesday to officials at the Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, who are deciding what technology to use for the ambitious chemical weapons destruction plan, two officials said.

Faced with the threat of a U.S. military intervention, Syrian President Bashar al Assad agreed last month to a U.S.-Russian plan to destroy his sizeable chemical weapons programme by the middle of 2014.

Initial talks between Washington and Moscow about where to destroy the stockpile included shipping it abroad, but it is illegal for most countries to import chemical weapons, making on-site destruction more likely.

Syria and the OPCW must make a decision on what technology will be used by Nov. 15.

It will largely depend on how Syria’s suspected 1,000 tonnes of sarin, mustard and XV nerve agents are stored. The unit can destroy bulk chemicals, or precursors, but not munitions with a toxic payload. Separating these is more dangerous and time-consuming than incinerating or neutralizing precursor chemicals.

“This is very big business, very political, and several governments are pushing for it,” said chemical weapons expert Dieter Rothbacher, who used to train inspectors at the OPCW. “These units will be operating in Syria for a long period of time.”

Several countries have already been contacted to provide technicians for trials with the U.S.-made unit, which finished a trial stage in August after half a year of development, said a source who asked not to be named. It is known as the Field Deployable Hydrolysis System (FDHS).

The officials did not provide financial details, but Rothbacher, who helped destroy late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s stockpile, estimated that the unit would “easily cost hundreds of million of dollars”.

A U.S. defence official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that a senior U.S. defence official briefed the OPCW about the FDHS, developed at the U.S. Army’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC). It could be operational within 10 days of arriving on site, the centre says on its website.

“In terms of the situation on the ground in Syria, it is the best viable option,” said a person briefed about the FDHS unit, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

OPCW spokesman Michael Luhan had no official comment about the briefing and said the deadline for the detailed plan for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons was Nov. 15.

More than two dozen inspectors are already on the ground in Syria and have to visit at least 20 production, storage and research sites, some of them in rebel-held territory.

As many as 100 experts will be needed to carry out a labour-intensive verification process, collect and secure declared weapons and witness the entire destruction process.

The OPCW, established to enforce the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, is a tiny organisation with around 500 staff and an annual budget of under $100 million. It will need significantly more to finish this task.

Many members of the OPCW, including Russia, China, France, Ireland, Britain and the United States, have offered to provide technicians, experts and several million dollars in funding.

Experts say meeting the June 2014 deadline for complete destruction is a difficult goal because the chemicals and weapons are spread over dozens of sites and foreign inspectors have never worked in an ongoing conflict.

Ceasefires will have to be negotiated with opposition forces to allow for safe access to sites in their territory in a conflict that has already claimed 100,000 lives.

The U.S. unit, built by the ECBC and the government’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), is operated by a crew of 15. It can destroy up to 25 metric tonnes of chemical agents per day when run around the clock, according to Edgewood. Several units could be co-located onsite, enabling the sharing of security and other assets, it said.
Russia announces it has completed the destruction of all of its chemical weapons under the terms of the Chemical Weapons Convention.