Russia and the West are braced for a fresh showdown at the world’s chemical weapons watchdog this week over a new team that will name culprits for attacks in Syria for the first time. The investigators’ first report identifying perpetrators is expected early next year, and tensions are already rising at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Moscow is threatening to block next year’s budget for the OPCW at the annual meeting in The Hague if it includes funding for the new team, which could effectively shut down the watchdog.
