April 12 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said on Monday Russia could use chemical weapons in Ukraine and called on the West to impose tough sanctions on Moscow to dissuade it from considering such a possibility.
Rumors reported on Monday of the use of chemical weapons against the port city of Mariupol, in southern Ukraine, besieged by the Russian army.
“I would like to remind world leaders that the possible use of chemical weapons by the Russian military has already been discussed,” Volodimir Zelensky said in his daily address.
“It is necessary to react to Russian aggression more harshly and quickly,” he added, without mentioning any use of chemical weapons by Russia so far. (Report Bogdan Kochubey Lviv and Ronald Popeski Winnipeg; French version Jean Terzian)