Russia's chemical weapons program remains active despite losing its seat on the global chemical warfare monitoring agency.

A new report by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) reveals another overlooked setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin on the international stage.

For the first time in its history, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) removed Russia from its 41-member Executive Council and elected Ukraine to fill an open seat in the OPCW's Eastern European Group, dealing a significant blow to Russian influence and prestige.

The OPCW report, titled "Russia's Year of Setbacks," highlights the need for the US and its allies to hold Russia accountable for its violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The report contends that Russia's continued possession and stockpiling of chemical weapons have been overlooked, despite Moscow's open attempts to use them against its enemies, including the assassination of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, who died in a Siberian prison colony after being poisoned multiple times for opposing Putin.

The death of Navalny should prompt Western governments to take action in the international organization space. The OPCW should be the starting point, and Putin should be penalized for his chemical weapons attack on Navalny, according to Andrea Stricker, deputy director of FDD’s Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program and author of the report, as reported by Planet Chronicle Digital.

Evidence to the world that Russia violates international norms and law on chemical weapons is shown through the tragic death of Navalny.

The OPCW has not imposed significant penalties nor required accountability for Russia's ongoing chemical weapons stockpiling, use of the nerve agent Novichok in the assassination attempt, and threats to use chemical weapons in Ukraine, according to the report.

Stricker suggests that countries interested in punishing Russia for the invasion of Ukraine should also limit Moscow's influence in other international organizations and remove its voting rights.

By limiting Russian influence in key organizations, Moscow's ability to spread misinformation about its adherence to international commitments and avoid accountability would also be restricted, she stated.

The July 2024 Executive Council meeting presents a crucial chance for the international community to hold Russia accountable following its removal from the council. The report recommends that member states employ the Syria case as a blueprint and, if Moscow disobeys, they should suspend Russia's rights at the OPCW.

The report states that Russia's continued participation in the OPCW is contingent upon the complete and verifiable dismantling of Vladimir Putin's chemical weapons program.