DISINFO: There is no evidence of the chemical attacks in Syria
SUMMARY
Chemical weapon, sanctions, this and that, everything is staged. The last bloc of sanctions is a sort of comedy. They were imposed because Russia allegedly did not stand against the use of chemical weapons in Syria. But there is not a single piece of evidence of any chemical attacks in Syria. All these [proofs of the] chemical attacks, all these white helmets… failed.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on the lack of proof of the chemical attacks in Syria, discrediting White Helmets and criticising sanctions against Russia. The chemical weapon attacks in Syria were confirmed by the OPCW, the international organisation which conducts probes into all allegations of chemical weapons' use in Syria; its findings serve as the basis for publicly available reports and expert notes. See more details here. The White Helmets are a volunteer search and rescue organisation made up of a group of Syrian civilians who mobilised to help war casualties in Syria, namely injured civilians trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings. The organisation - which is made up of 3,400 volunteers including teachers, engineers, tailors and firefighters - states that it has no affiliation to any political or military actor and is committed to render services to anyone in need. The EU imposed sanctions over the use of chemical weapons for the first time in history in January 2019, targeting four Russians over the Skripal poisoning in Salisbury UK, and five Syrians and one entity over chemical attacks in Douma in April 2018. Read more on the history of EU sanctions imposed against Russia here.