UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey told Sky News on Tuesday that “all possible options are on the table in terms of how the West might respond” if Russia is confirmed to be using lethal chemical weapons against Ukrainian soldiers and civilians.
“I think it’s useful to maintain some ambiguity… over exactly what the response would be, but let’s be clear, if they are used at all, then President Putin should know that all possible options are on the table in terms of how the West might respond,” said Heappey. On Monday the UK Defence Ministry warned their intel indicated Russian troops were preparing to use phosphorous munitions against the besieged Eastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol in their next offensive.