Nato could be forced to intervene in the Russia-Ukraine war if Vladimir Putin decides to use chemical weapons, a minister has warned.
Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said Russia should think twice about taking such an approach as it could trigger “an international response”.
Western officials are concerned Moscow could turn to chemical and biological warfare in a bid to speed up the conflict.
Asked if the use of such weapons would change the West’s decision not to get involved militarily, Mr Heappey told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “President Putin needs to be clear that the use of chemical weapons is just the most despicable thing that anyone can imagine.
“As horrid as the pictures we are seeing on our TV screens today of an artillery strike against a hospital (are), they are but nothing by comparison to the suffering and devastation that chemical weapons cause.”
Pressed on if it would be a ‘red line’, he added: “I don’t think it’s helpful to get into any firm commitment right now about where that red line sits. But I think President Putin needs to be very clear about when other countries have used chemical weapons, it has caused an international response.
“And I think that the US are right to declassify the intelligence so that Putin knows that we know that he’s got this under consideration.
“And I think he should reflect very urgently on what has happened to other countries where they have used this.”
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Chemical weapons were used by the Assad regime, backed by Russia, during the Syrian civil war and officials fear Moscow could repeat the tactic in Ukraine.
Last night White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the world should be “on the lookout” for the Russian use of chemical and biological weaponry.
She said “Russia’s false claims” about alleged US biological weapons labs and chemical weapons development in Ukraine could be an “an obvious ploy” by the Kremlin to try to “justify its further premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine”.
Ms Psaki added: “Now that Russia has made these false claims, and China has seemingly endorsed this propaganda, we should all be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, or to create a false flag operation using them.”
Western allies have previously warned that Russia could be prepared to use thermobaric weapons, known as vacuum bombs, in the Ukraine conflict, while it has already been criticised for dropping cluster bombs on civilian areas.
Yesterday, Russia was accused of shelling a maternity hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
Mr Heappey said the attack on the maternity hospital was a “war crime”.
City officials said an initial assessment found 17 casualties, including a six-year-old child.
The Russian army knew that they were bombing a maternity hospital in Mariupol, the deputy mayor of the city has claimed.
Sergei Orlov told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I am absolutely sure that they know about this facility.
“This is the third hospital that they have destroyed in the city. The previous day they destroyed hospital number nine by artillery shelling. This was a Covid hospital with 300 beds.
“They have also attacked and destroyed a blood collection station in Mariupol. So, it is the third hospital, I’m absolutely sure they know what are their targets.”