United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley closed her Thursday statements before the UN Security Council by warning of potential chemical attacks in New York.
United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley closed her Thursday statements before the UN Security Council by warning members of potential chemical attacks in New York and other major cities.
“If we don’t take immediate concrete measures to address this now, Salisbury will not be the last place we see chemical weapons used,” Haley stated in support of strict actions the United Kingdom took against Russia for the attempted murder of Russian national Sergei Skripal. “They could be used here in New York, or in cities of any country that sits on this Council. This is a defining moment.”
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“Time and time again, member-states say they oppose the use of chemical weapons under any circumstance,” Haley continued. “Now one member stands accused of using chemical weapons on the sovereign soil of another member. The credibility of this council will not survive if we fail to hold Russia accountable.”
Earlier in her remarks, Haley heartily criticized a pattern of behavior by Russia and President Putin.
“The Russians complained recently that we criticize them too much,” she offered. “If the Russian government stopped using chemical weapons to assassinate its enemies and if the Russian government stopped helping its Syrian ally to use chemical weapons to kill children, and if Russia cooperated with the prohibition of chemical weapons by turning over all information related to this nerve agent, we would stop talking about them.”
“We would take no pleasure in having to constantly criticize Russia. We need Russia to stop giving us so many reasons to do so.”
The White House echoed Haley’s comments with a forceful denouncement of Russia’s actions Thursday evening.
“The United States stands in solidarity with its closest ally, the United Kingdom,” press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. “The United States shares the United Kingdom’s assessment that Russia is responsible for the reckless nerve agent attack on a British citizen and his daughter, and we support the United Kingdom’s decision to expel Russian diplomats as a just response.”
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