Ukraine: UK says 'all option on table' if Russia is found to have used chemical weapons

Liz Truss said the UK was working with allies to investigate the yet to be verified claims. 

"Reports that Russian forces may have used chemical agents in an attack on the people of Mariupol, she said.

"We are working urgently with partners to verify details. Any use of such weapons would be a callous escalation in this conflict and we will hold Putin and his regime to account."

The armed forces minister remained ambiguous on what the UK response would be if the reports were shown to be accurate, adding that "all options are on the table". 

READ MORE: Liz Truss says country faces new 'concentrated Russian offensive'

Speaking to Sky News, James Heappey said any response “would certainly be effective, but it would also be well considered”.

He said: “We know that there are reports of the use of chemical weapons. We have not been able to verify those ourselves, and indeed the Ukrainian system, as you’ve seen from President Zelensky, are only referring to the fact that there are reports, they themselves haven’t yet been able to confirm to us that they have been used.”

Mr Heappey added: “These are appalling weapons to even think about using and the fact that they are part of the discussion is deeply sobering.

"It’s not just the president of the United States, the president of France and our own Prime Minister have also been clear that there are weapons that simply should not be used and if they are used people will be held to account.

“I think it’s useful to maintain some ambiguity.. over exactly what the response would be, but let’s be clear, if they are used at all then President Putin should know that all possible options are on the table in terms of how the West might respond.”

Challenged on BBC Radio 4 if a response could include direct NAte involvement, the minister said: “I just think it’s important to have some ambiguity and it’s also not for any government minister from an individual country to pledge Nato involvement.

“It’s perfectly possible that a response to chemical weapons use could happen outwith Nato but all options being on the table is meant as a very clear to deterrent to President Putin from using these weapons that are utterly appalling, cause huge suffering and misery, are completely indiscriminate, and won’t just affect troops – not that that’s not bad enough – but could well affect women, children, civilians.”

In his nightly address, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the threat of chemical weapons being used was taken “as seriously as possible”.

Russian forces have concentrated their efforts on Mariupol in the south and the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, after apparently abandoning efforts to seize capital Kyiv.

Mariupol’s mayor said more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city and the death toll could surpass 20,000.

A UK defence intelligence summary published on Tuesday suggested fighting will intensify in eastern Ukraine over the next two to three weeks.

“Russian attacks remain focused on Ukrainian positions near Donetsk and Luhansk with further fighting around Kherson and Mykolaiv and a renewed push towards Kramatorsk,” the Ministry of Defence said.

“Russian forces continue to withdraw from Belarus in order to redeploy in support of operations in eastern Ukraine.”

Western officials think Russia wants to bring about the fall of Mariupol to free up troops for the fight in the Donbas and to create a route north for the Kremlin’s forces as they look to form a pincer movement on Ukrainian defenders in the east.

Officials have said Mr Putin will double or even possibly triple the number of Russian troops in the Donbas as the Russian president resorts to a “diminished” invasion strategy.

The amassing of troops, however, will not necessarily give Moscow an advantage over Ukraine, with Kyiv’s forces having had success in pushing back insurgents in the east of the country, they said.