As the world’s most powerful leaders continue to walk a tightrope in their response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin may have just crossed a line that cannot be uncrossed.
Vladimir Putin has dangled his nuclear arsenal over the world’s head over the course of the last month and a half, threatening any and all nations who would dare to try to stop his invasion of Ukraine directly. He likely believed that this would give him carte blanche to do as he pleased during this genocide disguised as a “special military operation”.
But the latest reports out of Mariupol seem to suggest that Putin has now taken a giant step beyond the pale.
Ukrainian forces and officials have accused Russia of dropping chemical weapons on the port city of Mariupol, causing troops and civilians alike to develop respiratory illnesses.
“Russian occupation forces used a poisonous substance of unknown origin against Ukrainian military and civilians in the city of Mariupol, which was dropped from an enemy [unmanned aerial vehicle],” the Azoz Regiment, a unit of the National Guard of Ukraine, posted to Telegram on Monday. “The victims have respiratory failure, vestibulo-atactic syndrome.”
As of this writing, the Pentagon has yet to be able to to confirm those reports, but were quick in releasing a statement germane to the situation.
“These reports, if true, are deeply concerning and reflective of concerns that we have had about Russia’s potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine,” press secretary John Kirby said in a statement, adding that the Defense Department will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Russia has a long history of using chemical and biological weapons against their enemies, even those who are Russian themselves, but if these reports turn out to the true there is little doubt that the world’s reticence to confront Putin forthright could be shattered.
