Ukraine has been elected to the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), while Russia has once again failed to win a seat — for the third year in a row.

Source: Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Sybiha stated that on Tuesday 26 November, Ukraine, Slovakia and Slovenia were elected to the OPCW Executive Council for the years 2026-2028, whereas Russia suffered another defeat.

Ukraine received 99 votes, Slovakia 107, and Slovenia 122.

"Despite all attempts by the aggressor state, the States Parties have made a clear choice: a systematic violator of the Chemical Weapons Convention cannot influence the OPCW governing body," he stressed.

According to Sybiha, acting on the instructions of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian diplomacy worked around the clock together with international partners to secure this result.

"Today's victory is not only an honour, but an important instrument to ensure proper and timely responses to chemical threats stemming from Russian aggression against Ukraine," the minister added.

Background:

• It is worth noting that Russia failed to be elected to the OPCW for the first time in history in 2023.
• In October 2024, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on three Russian entities and one individual over the use of chemical weapons by Russian forces in Ukraine.
• In spring 2025, the European Union introduced sanctions against three Russian institutions involved in the development and use of chemical weapons.

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